Hackers claim they cracked Quebec's vaccination QR codes; government says they're 'completely secure'
There are new privacy and security concerns over the QR codes given out to Quebecers as proof of vaccination.
A cyber security team of experts tested whether or not it could crack the codes and they say they were able to do so fairly easily.
While the roll-out of the QR codes has already begun, only a few details have been released about how and when they will be used.
Health minister Christian Dubé has said that if the epidemiological situation deteriorates in Quebec, the QR codes will be required for residents to access some non-essential services, such as bars and gyms.
The government said it hopes to never have to use the digital proof of vaccination for such a reason and is instead relying, quite desperately, on the population to get their two doses of the vaccine by Aug. 31.
Recently, a team of cybersecurity experts got together to test the security and safety of the QR codes sent to hundreds of thousands of Quebecers so far.
The so-called “ethical hackers” were able to crack the codes using a fairly rudimentary program that decodes the visual symbols.
Those involved in the hack are asking why the government did not opt for a more robust security method involving encryption, which is far more difficult to crack.
“There are a lot of people that say, in social media, we’re already giving that (kind of personal) information. The thing is we’re giving this information voluntarily to a private company,” said Patrick Mathieu, co-founder of Hackfest, billed as the largest hacking event in Canada.
“(But) now it’s the government forcing us to access a public space or private event. Facebook doesn’t require you to give your information when you want to go to a cinema, but the government might ask you to do so.”
Even if the QR codes are never needed to be used within the province, they can be shown abroad when travelling to countries, such as those in Europe, that require proof of vaccination for entry.
In a statement, the ministry of health said the QR code is “completely secure and the government would “never put Quebecers’ data at risk.”
“The Ministry of Health is studying and following international standards in this major operation. And for double authentication, the QR code will have to be accompanied by a proof of identity on site. The QR code is designed to be read and is unencrypted, in accordance with the international standard determined by the WHO, a position supported by the VCI (Vaccination Credential Initiative) for Smart Health Card (a group of public and private organizations),” the statement read.
“The QR code is not forgeable. It contains an encrypted signature from the Quebec government. It does not constitute proof of identity. Therefore, to avoid fraud or identity theft, the QR code must be combined with proof of identity.”
The ministry added that there are still several weeks of testing left to iron out technical details of the QR code program.
Mathieu said the current codes were relatively easy to create and that encrypted codes would require more elaborate set-ups, but would require more people and more money to develop.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.