‘Hell of a lot of money,’ Hamilton refuses to pay huge ransom as it continues to recover from cyberattack

The City of Hamilton refused to pay a ransom demanded by cyber criminals following an attack on its IT systems. 

The ransomware attack, which was first reported by the city on Feb. 26, via a news bulletin on its website, is affecting a number of online municipal resources, including telephone lines, transit schedules, tax services, and Ontario Works and Special Supports.

City Manager Marnie Cluckie said authorities have employed “enhanced monitoring tools,” to strengthen security during an online media briefing on Friday afternoon.

She also confirmed that there is no evidence to suggest personal data has been removed or compromised from the systems, and if the city finds otherwise it will alert the public. “The goal is to make more city services available as quickly and as safely as possible,” Cluckie said.

Mayor Andrea Horwath, who also joined the briefing, added that the city refused to pay the ransom demanded as it “was a whole hell of a lot of money.”

The city did not release how much the ransom was for. “Those bad guys are still out there,” Horwath said.

In a Thursday press release, the city said its efforts had shifted to containing and isolating its digital infrastructure to prevent further damage.

“The City continues to collaborate with cyber experts and authorities at various levels. Part of their work includes ongoing forensic analysis of the criminals’ activity within our systems,” the release said. 

Critical services continue to be delivered, such as curbside waste collection, transit, water and wastewater treatment and emergency services, and the city has continued to provide the majority of its services through alternative and “old school” means.

For the latest information, a full list of service disruptions and answers to frequently asked questions, visit hamilton.ca/cyberincident.