Hamilton has been facing a ransomware attack for more than a week that has had major impacts on city services.
City manager Marnie Cluckie first disclosed the nature of the cyberattack during a virtual meeting with Mayor Andrea Horwath on Monday afternoon. The call was the city’s first media conference since the breach began Feb. 25.
The incident shut down nearly all city phone lines, paralyzed the city council and affected dozens of services, including bus schedule enforcement, library Wi-Fi and permit applications.
The city did not provide a timeline for when the situation would be resolved.
“It’s impossible to know how long it will take us to be fully operational again,” Cluckie said.
“I can tell you that we can only restore systems when we are confident that we can do so safely and securely.”
He said the municipality did not believe personal data was accessed. Hamilton police have been notified and an investigation will begin.
Cluckie said he was tight-lipped about what was going on behind the scenes because the situation was “sensitive” and he would not reveal the amount of money the attackers wanted or their whereabouts.
He said the city has insurance coverage against cybersecurity breaches.
Cluckie said cybersecurity experts at Cipher were hired to respond to the attack. Cipher provides legal services as well as forensics and incident response.
Ransomware attacks can be ‘devastating’
Ransomware is a type of malware that “denies a user access to a system or data until a sum of money is paid,” according to the Canadian Cyber Security Centre.
The center, run by the Federal Communications Security Agency, said the effects of ransomware attacks could be “devastating” for the organization involved.
“Threat actors have become more stealthy in their operations, primarily gaining access to an organization’s infrastructure, including communications systems, to detect critical systems, high-value data, personal information, and data that could cause reputational damage if leaked to the public,” he said.
Paying the ransom does not guarantee that the system will be restored, the agency said.
Other municipalities have also faced ransomware attacks in recent years.
The small town of St. Petersburg in southwestern Ontario. When Marys fell victim to a cyberattack in 2022, lawyers recommended the city pay a ransom of $290,000 in cryptocurrency.
Al Strathdee, mayor of the town of about 7,000 residents, said the potential risk to people’s data was too high not to pay. The town reported spending at least $1.3 million investigating and recovering from the attack.
The City of Stratford agreed to pay $75,000 worth of Bitcoin to an attacker in exchange for decryption keys to unlock its information systems following a ransomware attack in 2019.
Stratford’s then-mayor, Dan Mathieson, said in a 2020 conversation with a director at Toronto Metropolitan University’s cybersecurity center that the cost of remediating the breach was “more than a million dollars.”
Horwath told reporters Monday that once the city’s systems are restored, Cluckie will conduct a thorough investigation to understand how the breach occurred and take measures to prevent it from happening again.
Horwath said all council meetings have been canceled until at least March 15 because staff do not have the capacity to work on daily operations as usual.
Horwath said the Council was fortunate that agendas were light heading into March recess. But they are “very aware” that the longer they delay meetings, the more work will be done later.
Affected services
Here’s how services will be affected by city:
telephone lines
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All program and council member phone lines are down.
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The Provincial Crimes Administration’s telephone lines are not working.
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Main phone lines at long-term care homes, Macassa and Wentworth hostels, are not working.
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The Customer Contact Center is operating with a delay and can be reached at 905-546-2489.
online systems
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Payment cannot be made for fire prevention service requests, outdoor burning permits, dog licenses, animal services donations, or business licenses and permits.
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Several services are not available, including building permits, zoning verifications, property reports, job applications, marriage licenses, or public health inspection results.
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The farmers market website is down.
engineering services
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Permits for road closures, sidewalk closures, encroachments, utility installations, or excavation permits are not available unless issued before February 25.
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Online drawing requests are also on hold.
cemeteries
Libraries
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Branches are open, borrowing is available, the website is working and face-to-face programs are running.
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Services unavailable include Wi-Fi, public computers, printing, borrowing using the library’s online catalog, shelf checkout kiosks, virtual programming, assistance with technical device making areas, and expanded access.
public health
property taxes
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Payments can be made from financial institutions or by mail.
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Municipal Service Centers will accept cash payments.
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Pre-authorized payments may be delayed.
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Tax certificates for real estate closings are not available to attorneys.
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Online tax tools are available offline, including the eBilling Portal, Property Inquiry Tool, and Hamilton’s tax website.
Ontario Jobs and special supports
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Monthly payments will be made as scheduled.
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Telephone and online communications are affected.
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Residents who wish to inquire about funeral assistance should contact 1550 Upper James St. It is recommended to visit the office at.
city vendors
Transfer stations and community recycling centers
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Only cash is accepted.
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Online tools do not work for replacement bin applications, bulk pickup requests, special evaluation requests, and ordering additional trash labels.
Childcare
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Wage subsidy offices are closed but staff continue to support customers.
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Red Hill Family Center is fully operational except for phone lines.
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Referrals for treatment purposes cannot receive fax forms, but can receive e-mails.
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Online Child Care Registration is not available.
Transport
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The HSR application is now offline and PDF schedules are available on the city website.
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HSR email and phone lines are down.
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Bus operators do not have access to computerized in-flight programs.
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Bus stop warning devices do not work.
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Online booking for on-demand public transportation in Waterdown works like PRESTO payments and DARTS services.
Hamilton Water
city mapping
recreation
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Recreation and senior centers, arenas and golf courses are fully operational except for phone lines.
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The Senior Center Without Walls program has been cancelled.
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The pool at Kanétskare Recreation Center is closed because the emergency phone line is not working.