The Weather Network reports that its systems have been impacted by a “cybersecurity incident” resulting in the unavailability of its website and mobile app. This incident marks the latest in a series of recent cyberattacks targeting Canadian organizations.

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Monday marked the initial day when users noticed service disruptions. In social media posts on Tuesday morning, both the Weather Network and its French counterpart, MétéoMédia, referred to this as a “system outage.”

As of Tuesday evening, certain features of the network remained unavailable. The Globe and Mail couldn’t include the weather report in Wednesday’s paper due to a power outage.

In a statement provided to The Globe on Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the network, Ryan McKenna, attributed the disruption to a cyberattack “linked to a third-party software provider” collaborating with Pelmorex Corp. Pelmorex Corp. who is the parent company of both The Weather Network and MétéoMédia, and it is headquartered in Oakville, Ontario.

Mr. McKenna declined to disclose the identity of the third-party source or provide further details about the incident.

The statement clarified that only weather data tools were impacted by the event. It also reassured that Alert Ready, operated by Pelmorex and serving as Canada’s national emergency alert system for situations like kidnappings, remains fully functional and continues to operate as intended.

“We sincerely apologize for any trouble this may have caused”

The statement said. It further assured users that certain services would be restored shortly and emphasized the commitment to achieving full restoration as soon as possible, although it didn’t provide a specific timeframe.

An investigation into the breach is actively underway, and the incident has been reported to the police. Additionally, Pelmorex has engaged cybersecurity experts, as mentioned in the statement. When inquired about government agency involvement, Mr. McKenna did not provide specific details.

It’s worth noting that cyberattacks and data breaches persist as a significant concern for both public and private entities in Canada. Notably, the RCMP and the Communications Security Establishment issued warnings at the end of the previous month, highlighting the threat these attacks pose to the nation’s national security and economic well-being.

Over the past year, hackers have targeted a range of organizations, including the Prime Minister’s Office, Empire Co. Ltd., Indigo Books & Music Inc., Vancouver’s transit police, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, and several others.

However, cybersecurity experts have noted that companies often do not allocate the necessary resources and funding to bolster their cybersecurity defences. It’s worth mentioning that since 2021, federal hacking laws designed to safeguard Canada’s critical services have remained in the early stages of legislative progress despite the escalating nature of these cybersecurity challenges.