September 24, 2007 –The results of a joint investigation into a major privacy breach affecting the personal information of millions of shoppers, including Canadians who shopped at Winners and HomeSense stores, will be released tomorrow.
Jennifer Stoddart, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and Frank Work, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, will summarize their findings into how intruders breached the computer system at TJX Companies Inc., the US-based owner of Winners and HomeSense stores, at a news conference in Montreal.
The privacy commissioners' investigation into the breach is one of several being conducted by organizations in a number of countries. Investigations by law enforcement agencies, the US Federal Trade Commission, a group of US Attorneys General, the UK Information Commissioner and the Irish Data Protection Commissioner are ongoing.
Press conference details are as follows:
WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, September 25th, 2007.
WHERE: Sheraton Montreal; 1201 Boulevard Rene-Levesque West. Fréchette Room, Level A.
PHONE-IN: Out-of-town media can join a teleconference by journalists can call in to 1-888-265-0903 or 1-613-954-9003 and quote Conference ID # 17628241.
The press conference is being held on the opening day of the 29th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, which runs through September 28th. Information about the conference, a gathering of the world's top privacy experts, is available at www.privacyconference2007.gc.ca.
For more information, contact:
Colin McKay, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Tel: (613) 995-0103 Email: cmckay@privcom.gc.ca
Wayne Wood, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
Tel: (780) 644-4015 Email: wwood@oipc.ab.ca
