Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 21, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B4 BUSINESS CITY EDITOR: SHANE MINKIN 204- 697- 7292 I CITY. DESK@ FREEPRESS. MB. CA I WINNIPEGFREEPRESS. COM TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2015 B 4 ADULTERY website AshleyMadison. com has been hacked, potentially exposing names, addresses, and sexual preferences of millions of would- be cheaters just as the site's owner was preparing to go public. Avid Life Media Inc., the Toronto company that runs the site with the tagline " Life is short, have an affair," said Monday hackers had gained access to its systems and it was working with police to investigate the breach. A group or individual called the Impact Team has claimed responsibility for the attack, and has already leaked maps of company servers, staff information, and company bank accounts, according to cyber- security blog Krebs on Security. In a message overlaid on the AshleyMadison homepage, the hackers threatened to publish the stolen information unless the site and its peer EstablishedMen. com are taken offline. " We will release all customer records, profiles with all the customers' secret sexual fantasies, nude pictures, and conversations and matching credit card transactions, real names and addresses," the hackers wrote, according to Krebs. " Avid Life Media will be liable for fraud and extreme harm to millions of users." While the company says it has closed the security holes and erased the hackers' message and any personal information about users, it will do little good if the hackers have transferred the data elsewhere, said Rik Turner, an analyst at technology researcher Ovum in London. That, he said, would leave users open to extremely uncomfortable questions from spouses if the information is made public. " For Christ's sake, if you're going to cheat don't do it online and leave yourself open," Turner said. " Unless you've been living in a cave for the past few years and not reading a paper or receiving any TV signal, it should be obvious that everything is hackable." Avid Life - which says AshleyMadison is the world's second- largest paid Internet dating website, with 36 million users - in April said it was considering an initial public offering this year to raise funds for international expansion. The company, which failed with an earlier IPO attempt in Canada, said it aimed to raise as much as $ 200 million in a London listing. The company said AshleyMadison had sales of $ 115 million last year, an almost fourfold increase from 2009. It makes money by charging for credits which can be used to pay for introductions to other wouldbe adulterers. " We apologize for this unprovoked and criminal intrusion into our customers' information," Avid Life said in a statement. " We have always had the confidentiality of our customers' information foremost in our minds, and have had stringent security measures in place." According to Krebs, the hackers said they carried out the attack due to the difficulty of deleting user profiles from the site. For about $ 20, AshleyMadison will carry out a so- called " full delete" to erase a user's information. But the hackers said the site nonetheless kept purchase details, names and addresses. Avid Life said in an emailed release Monday the delete option did remove all information related to a member's profile and activity. In addition it was now offering a full delete free to any member because of the news. - Bloomberg News Hacker threatens to out millions of adulterers By Kristen Schweizer C ANADA'S major railways must be more transparent with shippers about their ability to haul grain and compensate them when they fail to meet service agreements, the country's agriculture minister says. Speaking in Winnipeg on Monday, Gerry Ritz said the railways must share more information with the grain industry about rail car demands. " They measure on what they supply when it comes to cars, not what the market is asking them to deliver. So there's a double standard there," Ritz said. " They say their commitment is to supplying the cars they're going to supply, not what's actually asked of them." Ritz said grain shippers should also be able to enter into reciprocal service agreements with CN Rail and CP Rail. He said often the railway is able to impose a fine against shippers for not filling a grain car on time, but there is no corresponding charge against the rail company if it does not pick up or deliver the grain on time. " I, for one, personally think that has to change," Ritz said in releasing a report by a grain industry working group on the issue. " You have to have reciprocity of penalties to have a commercial agreement." The performance of Canada's two national railways in moving grain to port came under particular scrutiny in 2013 when the Prairie provinces produced record yields of wheat and canola. Farmers and companies were forced to pile grain on the ground due to a lack of rail shipping capacity. The railways were accused of prioritizing oil shipments over grain. Ottawa set performance targets for CN and CP, and regulators began to examine the relationship between shippers and railways more closely. According to the Crops Logistics Working Group report released on Monday, rail companies have an " effective natural monopoly" when it comes to hauling grain because most shippers are served by only one carrier. " In a free market, a supplier who fails to meet commitments or refuses to make commitments loses the business," the working group said. " No such market discipline exists for rail companies." The group, chaired by Murdoch MacKay of the Canadian Grain commission, included representatives of various crop production groups, the association representing major grain companies, Manitoba's Keystone Agricultural Producers, and others. Its report calls for the railways to be more open about grain industry service demands. It also calls for increased protection and support for small shippers and greater regulatory powers for the Canadian Transportation Agency in dealing with rail companies. Neither major railway would comment directly on Ritz's remarks or the working group report on Monday. " We moved record amounts of grain in 2014 and continue to move grain consistent with demand from our customers," said CP spokeswoman Salem Woodrow. CN spokesman Mark Hallman said his company " continues to respond safely and efficiently" to car orders from grain customers. " CN believes that Canadian grain export supply chains are best served by end- to- end collaboration, strong commercial relationships between carriers and customers, and a transportation policy framework anchored on behavior that encourages innovation and reflects mutual trust," he said in an email. A drought over much of the Prairies this summer is likely to reduce demand for rail cars this fall and throughout the winter. Ritz was asked Monday whether Ottawa is considering a special program to aid grain farmers, primarily in parched areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta. The federal minister said he doesn't believe an ad hoc program is necessary given the " very comprehensive system" of programs available for farmers today, including expanded crop insurance and a program that averages farm income over a period of years. " The closest thing I would consider... would be under Agri- Recovery," he said of the federal- provincial program that compensates farmers recovering from natural disasters. Ritz said the subject came up at a meeting of provincial ministers of agriculture last week in Charlottetown. But so far, he added, there " hasn't been anything ( of) a regional size that would trigger" the program. larry. kusch@ freepress. mb. ca A pharmacy services partnership between the Manitoba northern chiefs organization and the North West Company has won a Health Canada contract to service northern nursing stations. And officials from the two organizations believe the $ 9 million to $ 10 million per year contract could evolve into an even more substantial enterprise, perhaps servicing other First Nations across the country. The entity, called Muskehki Pharmacy, is 60 per cent owned by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak ( MKO), which represents 30 First Nations in northern Manitoba, and 40 per cent by the North West Company ( NWC). The contract by Health Canada is to provide pharmacy support services and medical supplies to medical professionals and clients in 22 remote nursing stations in First Nations communities in northern Manitoba. The partnership was formed in 2010 but was unsuccessful in its first bid - the last time the contract was up for tender. MKO Grand Chief David Harper said the interest in lining up this work is part of a larger effort to improve services, expand revenue sources and build up professional capacity in the First Nations communities. " We are interested in having our own pharmacists and pharma- techs," he said. " This is a good opportunity for training and professional development." Muskehki has a pharmacy licence already and operates a store- front pharmacy at the NWC- owned Valu Lots Discount Centre on Wall Street. " Any time we think we can reach out and create a business entity that can give back to the communities we serve we are very interested in pursing those opportunities," said Dan McConnell, executive vice- president and chief development officer of NWC. The Wall Street location will be the central prescription fill and distribution location. McConnell said there is a hiring spree going on right now. He said efforts are being made to hire as many aboriginal people as possible to fill available positions. Muskehki Pharmacy's contract takes effect next month. It will be the provider of patient medication shipped to those 22 nursing stations through the non- insured health benefits program. It has a one- year contract and Health Canada has the option to extend it for an additional two years. In addition to dispensing medication, the partnership will offer counselling to patients and support to healthcare professionals working in the communities. " What we are trying to do is implement a sustainable health- care model," said Laurie Kaminsky, vice- president of NWC health products and services. It will use a telehealth network the NWC has been building to support a network of 12 pharmacies it currently operates within its 129 Northern and NorthMart stores. It also already operates the largest telepharmacy service provider in Canada, North West Telepharmacy Solutions. Harper said MKO's involvement in securing the contract is part of efforts of First Nations communities to have more control of their communities' administration. Muskehki has the potential for ongoing wealth creation. As well as dispensing prescription medication in a timely way to nursing stations in the 22 northern communities, Muskehki has the possibility to develop a wholesale business. Harper said he has already had conversations with First Nations groups in Saskatchewan and Ontario as well as some in the U. S. McConnell agreed the model could be used in other jurisdictions. " This is the first one of its kind. It is leading edge," McConnell said. " It could be a blueprint for what could happen ( in other jurisdictions) in the future. It's a great opportunity." martin. cash@ freepress. mb. ca Partnership will service 22 remote nursing stations Will provide pharmacy and medical supplies By Martin Cash A plea for railway transparency CN, CP must share more info with grain industry, agriculture minister tells Winnipeg audience By Larry Kusch MARTIN CASH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS North West Company executive vice- president Dan McConnell and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief David Harper at the announcement Monday. ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said there should be fines if rail companies don't deliver grain on time. ' This is the first one of its kind. It is leading edge. It could be a blueprint for what could happen in the future. It's a great opportunity' - North West Company's Dan McConnell B_ 04_ Jul- 21- 15_ FP_ 01. indd B4 7/ 20/ 15 8: 52: 21 PM ;