Hamilton cyberattack shows municipalities need to shore up digital defences: expert

"It's no longer a question of if a municipality is going to be attacked – it's only really a question of when they're going to be attacked."

A recent ransomware attack that knocked out several online services in one of Ontario’s largest cities has brought into sharp focus the need for municipalities to have a plan to respond to what’s become an unavoidable – and increasingly sophisticated – threat, a top cybersecurity expert said.

The breach in Hamilton is the latest example of the seriousness of such cyberattacks, which have increasingly targeted municipalities in recent years, said Charles Finlay, executive director of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst.

While Hamilton’s critical services have not been affected, cyberattacks on municipal networks can lead to dangerous situations if they tamper with emergency, water and wastewater systems, Finlay said in an interview.

Municipalities of all sizes are being targeted because they often hold large amounts of data that can be leveraged to extort significant ransoms, he said. Those behind the attacks also know municipal services are important to residents and governments can’t afford to be offline for long, he said

Every municipality needs to establish “how they will respond to that kind of crisis,” Finlay said, stressing it’s not something that should be improvised once the damage is done. Governments also need to beef up training for staff to ensure they follow best practices such as two-factor authentication, regular software and password updates and not clicking on links in emails from untrusted senders, he said, noting breaches can often stem from employee mistakes.

“It’s no longer a question of if a municipality is going to be attacked – it’s only really a question of when they’re going to be attacked,” Finlay said.

“I would urge us all to recognize that these attacks on municipalities are a wake-up call and we really need to do more now, before we have even more dangerous situations emerge.”

Officials in Hamilton said last week that they have engaged experts, insurers, lawyers and others in their efforts to restore the city’s systems following the Feb. 25 attack, though no timeline has been set.