Hamilton, one of Ontario’s largest cities, is grappling with the aftermath of a cyber attack that has entered its second day. The municipality, situated on the shores of Lake Ontario and home to approximately 570,000 residents, experienced widespread disruptions to city-wide phone and email services, affecting essential municipal functions like public transit planning and library services. Initially characterized as a disruption, the incident has now been reclassified as a cyber incident by city officials.
Despite the disruptions, Hamilton’s public transit system resumed operations as scheduled on Monday, with transit schedules accessible through the city’s website. In response to the cyber incident, the city has mobilized cybersecurity experts and relevant authorities to investigate the cause and mitigate potential impacts on sensitive or private information. The municipality underscores its commitment to transparency, pledging to provide updates as the investigation unfolds and apologizing for any inconvenience caused by the incident.
The cyber attack on Hamilton highlights the vulnerability of local governments to such threats, with their IT departments often facing budgetary constraints compared to national counterparts. Threat actors may target local governments with the belief that they are more likely to pay ransoms for stolen data, given their responsibility to taxpayers. As the investigation progresses, Hamilton remains focused on protecting the privacy and security of its community while minimizing disruptions to city services.
