City confirms cyber incident is a ransomware attack

HAMILTON, ON – Yesterday, Mayor Andrea Horwath and City Manager Marnie Cluckie invited members of the media to receive the latest information and ask questions related to the City’s ongoing cybersecurity incident. Cluckie confirmed that the incident is a result of a ransomware attack, which prevents the City from accessing some IT systems. She also confirmed that, at this time, the City does not believe that people’s personal data or information has been accessed.

“Since the cybersecurity incident began, we have had a team of experts working diligently to discover what happened and how, and more importantly, to protect our data and systems and to minimize the impacts,” said Cluckie. “We’re pleased that we can still offer most of our City services. I know the City’s team has adjusted to help citizens and do some work manually, which is resulting in some delays. It hasn’t been easy, and we really appreciate that residents are being patient. We apologize for the inconvenience this is causing.”

A technical advisor, CYPFER, has been retained through legal counsel to provide forensic investigation and incident response. In addition, the City continues to work with legal counsel, insurers, and the appropriate authorities, such as Hamilton Police Service.

As the City continues to work toward a full recovery, the City is grateful to Hamiltonians for their ongoing patience. We want to assure residents that our priority is to protect the community and restore City services as quickly and securely as possible.

Once systems are up and running again, the City will conduct a full review to identify where changes and improvements may be needed and to help prevent a similar incident from happening in future.

For the latest information, a full list of disrupted services and answers to frequently asked questions, visit hamilton.ca/cyberincident. A link to the Mayor and City Manager’s full media briefing is also available. Residents can also call the City of Hamilton Customer Contact Centre at 905-546-2489 (CITY)