Notice to the Profession and Consumers: TruStage cybersecurity incident

TruStage Financial Group, Inc. (TruStage) has announced that it recently experienced a cybersecurity incident.

TruStage (previously known as Assurant Life) is a provider of insurance and financial services offering pre-need (prepaid) insurance products used by many businesses in the bereavement sector in Ontario to fund prearranged funeral contracts.

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) is aware that bereavement sector operators in Ontario, that are clients of TruStage, may not be able to access their online reports and make claims on behalf of purchasers (consumers) due to this cybersecurity incident.

TruStage has posted this on its public website:

• “Our systems are down as we are investigating a recent cybersecurity incident. We apologize for any inconvenience. Teams are working on a resolution and activating business resiliency plans.” 
• “TruStage  recently identified a cybersecurity incident affecting its environment and immediately activated its incident response and recovery protocols. The company has engaged external cybersecurity experts to support containment, remediation and recovery efforts, and that work remains ongoing.”

BAO licensees and the public should reach out to TruStage directly for more information, and/or refer to the TruStage  website. 

About the BAO
The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) is a government delegated authority and not-for-profit corporation administering provisions of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA). Accountable to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement and the government, the BAO is responsible for the protection of the public interest. The BAO regulates, ensures compliance with the law, provides resources and services to licensed:

• Funeral establishment operators, directors and preplanners;
• Cemetery, crematorium and alternative disposition operators;
• Transfer service operators; and
• Bereavement sector sales representatives across Ontario.

The BAO is wholly funded by licensee fees (not tax dollars).