City of Hamilton confirms Feb. 25 cybersecurity incident was ransomware attack

Mayor Andrea Horwath and City Manager Marnie Cluckie have confirmed the cyber attack that disabled much of Hamilton’s network nearly two weeks ago was a ransomware attack and declared that it is not believed that anyone’s people’s personal data or information has been compromised.

“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 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 Hamilton Police.

“We want to assure residents that our priority is to protect the community and restore City services as quickly and securely as possible,” said Horwath, who also thanked residents for their “ongoing patience.”

Once systems are up and running again, the City is expected to 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. Residents can also call the City of Hamilton Customer Contact Centre at (905) 546-2489.