Canada: town of Hamilton acknowledges ransomware attack 

Town suffering significant IT disruptions since February 25, but little information released on the issue. 

On March 4, 2024, the Canadian town of Hamilton, in Ontario, admitted being the target of a ransomware attack, which has triggered ongoing computer failures since February 25, 2024. The attack forced city hall to disconnect its phone lines, and take all its computer stations offline. A number of city services remain unavailable. Only an emergency phone line still connects citizens to city hall.

The town has chosen to release as little as possible about the issue, even refusing, until the press briefing on March 4, 2024, to call it a “cyberattack”. Hamilton has tasked cyber experts with investigating the attack and speed up the remedial process. Yet it is not believed to have called upon Canada’s Royal Mounted Police, or the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

Before the press, City Manager Marnie Cluckie explained that she “did not believe” personal data or information “was accessed”. When pressed on a potential ransom payment, she declined to comment, only saying that city hall would “do what’s best for the city”.  She also did not provide the timetable for a return to normalcy.