Hamilton hit by ransomware attack, no timeline to restore services, city manager says

A cybersecurity incident that the City of Hamilton has been grappling with since last month has been confirmed as a ransomware attack.

The city said it first learned of the attack on Feb. 25.

City manager Marnie Cluckie told a media briefing Monday that the city doesn’t believe people’s personal data and information have been accessed.

Ransomware is malware that holds vital digital information hostage for payment.

Ms. Cluckie would not say whether a ransom had been paid, saying only that staff would do “what’s best for the city.”

Various services have been disrupted, including the systems used for online payment, and there is no timeline for when normal operations will be restored.