Halifax police need to address cybersecurity risks, auditor general says

Halifax's auditor general says the police department needs to tighten up its cybersecurity as soon as possible.

Evangeline Colman-Sadd planned to doan audit of Halifax Regional Police's computer systems, but was told in April that a consultant, KPMG, had already completed a report in December 2016.

"There were high-risk items that were identified in that report," said Colman-Sadd, "So those are important [items] that need to be addressed."

In fact, there were 67 concerns raised with 35 considered "high impact" and "high likelihood."

Many of the issues have not been dealt with because police officials took more than a year to find a chief information security officer.

Andrew Kozma was hired in June.

The delay concerns Colman-Sadd, who suggested that Halifax's police commission startgetting regular updates.

She met with the commission on Monday behind closed doors to discuss the "security of police operations."

In a letter to the auditor general, the chairman of the commission and the police chief said an action plan will be ready in September, and there will be monthly updates after that.

The letter also states that thedepartment has"the necessary controls and practices in place to protect citizens."

"So we will restart our audit in the spring of 2019 and we will assess the state at that point," Colman-Sadd said.

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