Services still affected by cybersecurity incident, Hamilton says

The City of Hamilton is still working to address a cybersecurity incident which has disabled numerous IT systems.

Hamilton confirmed the incident began on Feb. 25 and has shut down services including the city’s phone lines. While operational, Hamilton Street Railway buses are running without their onboard computer systems. As a result, the stop announcement voice on HSR buses is not working.

However, the myRide system in Waterdown and DARTS specialized busses remain operational.

Most other critical systems remain operational including the municipal water supply. Recreation centres, courts and service offices remain open but the phones are down. One line remains open, the Customer Contact Centre at 905-546-2489.

“The City has taken swift action to investigate, protect systems, and minimize the impact, which are key priorities as the City continues to contain the breach,” Hamilton wrote. This includes engagement with cyber security experts, insurers, legal counsel, and relevant authorities.

A city update confirmed information was accessed but it was too early in the investigation to determine what kind of information.

“As the investigation and response to this situation is ongoing, the City must be sensitive about what information is shared,” Hamilton wrote, “Once the systems are fully restored, the City will work with its advisors on any additional measures that will help prevent this from happening in the future.”

“I want to thank residents and partners for their patience during this time and apologize for any inconvenience. We will keep you updated regularly through our social media accounts and on our website,” wrote city manager Marnie Cluckie.

“I want to assure residents that we are taking this matter very seriously and have engaged with a team of extremely talented cyber experts who are working on this in order to investigate, minimize impact and protect the community,” she concluded.