Kingston Police Data Breach: 80,000 Affected, $1M Cost After Jan 2025 Hack
A hacker accessed 160 GB of Kingston Police data in January 2025, affecting ~80,000 people. An internal probe found disclosure of personal information remains unlikely.
Kingston Police conclude probe into January 2025 data breach affecting 80,000 people
Kingston Police have completed their internal investigation into a cybersecurity incident that struck the force in early 2025, concluding that the risk of personal information being leaked publicly remains low, kingstonist.com reports.
The breach occurred when a hacker used compromised account credentials to gain access to internal systems, extracting approximately 160 GB of data. Security personnel detected the intrusion on January 3, 2025, and immediately shut down all systems, bringing in the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to assist with the investigation.
The extracted data encompassed 345,000 documents, of which 100,000 were earmarked for analysis to determine what personal information had been obtained. Among the compromised records were criminal court information, provincial offence ticketing data, bail hearing lists and Excel reports spanning 2000 to 2024 — all containing names, dates of birth, offence details, pleas, findings and sentences.
A broader set of records dating from 1998 to 2020 was also affected, touching approximately 80,000 individuals who had interacted with Kingston Police in various capacities. Within that data, investigators identified 2,000 driver's licence numbers, 250 credit card, health card or passport numbers, and fewer than 1,000 social insurance numbers.
Investigators made direct contact with the hacker, who agreed to delete the data and provide proof of its deletion. A police spokesperson declined to specify what form that proof took.
"We understand that people may be concerned, and we take that seriously. We recognize the trust our community places in us, and we remain committed to transparency and to strengthening the systems that protect the information collected by and entrusted to Kingston Police," Kingston Police Chief Adam MacIntosh said in an email statement to Global News.
OPP and partner agencies have continued to monitor the dark web and have found no evidence of any leak of the compromised data, police said.
The cyberattack carried a significant financial toll: by the end of the 2025 fiscal year, the breach had cost Kingston Police approximately $1 million. In response, the Kingston Police Services Board announced plans to invest $3.9 million over the next three years to overhaul cybersecurity and IT infrastructure. The force will also increase its full-time IT staffing by 50 per cent to support the improved systems.
Police advised that anyone who interacted with the force or appeared in court during the identified timeframe should monitor their credit card statements and contact the relevant government agency if they suspect their identification documents may have been compromised.
Source: Google News JM — Kingston