The Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA) disclosed a security breach Thursday affecting over 329,000 people.

The association said hackers obtained information that mainly relates to the distribution of its magazine, including names, home addresses and email addresses. It said in cases where passwords and credit card numbers were obtained, all were protected by encryption.

After discovering the breach, immediate steps were taken to identify and notify people affected, and that it has further enhanced security measures, CPA Canada said. 

"Safeguarding the information in our care is one of our most important responsibilities and we sincerely regret any concern this incident may cause," CPA Canada President and CEO Joy Thomas said in a release.

CPA Canada said those impacted by the security breach should remain vigilant about any emails they receive requesting to provide sensitive information. They are also urging individuals not to click on links or attachments, even if they appear to come from CPA Canada.

Provincial and regional CPA partners were not targeted in this security breach.