The City of Hamilton, Canada, remains in the process of restoring its online systems after enduring a ransomware attack at the end of February. Despite ongoing efforts, the city acknowledges that full system recovery has not yet been achieved. Following the identification of the cyber incident on February 25, the city promptly initiated an internal investigation supported by third-party cybersecurity professionals to assess the incident’s nature and scope. While critical municipal services like water treatment and waste collection remain operational, the impact on online payment services and administrative functions underscores the severity of the attack.
An official press release emphasized the city’s commitment to prioritizing data integrity and system security while collaborating closely with cybersecurity experts and relevant authorities to address the incident efficiently. Although city officials have assured residents that no sensitive personal data has been compromised thus far, the complete restoration of online services post-ransomware remains a work in progress. The city council meetings were disrupted, and libraries’ essential services like WiFi and public computers were also affected. The city staff has resorted to manual processing for routine transactions as online payment systems continue to be non-operational. As investigations continue, the city aims to keep residents informed of progress and assures a swift and safe recovery of their systems.
