Cyberattacks target Ontario municipalities, police say

A rash of cyberattacks on Ontario municipal governments, in which hackers demand a ransom to unlock compromised systems, has prompted the provincial police force to warn about what it describes as a recent trend.

Ontario Provincial Police didn’t disclose how many municipalities had been temporarily crippled by the incidents known as ransomware attacks, but at least two recently had their systems compromised and the mayor of one of them said he has heard of multiple other cases.

In an advisory issued Friday, the OPP said it wanted communities to be aware of the spate of incidents.

“In recent months there have been several ransomware (hack/virus) attacks on businesses and municipal government offices within Ontario,” wrote the force, which did not respond to requests for further comment.

“The OPP does not support paying ransomware attackers, as it only encourages further criminal activity, and there is no guarantee that payment will restore the encrypted data.”

Police described a ransomware attack as one where a computer or network is infected with malware — software intended to damage or disable — that encrypts data on those systems. Those behind the attack then reveal that the information can be retrieved only with an encryption key, which commonly is only released upon the payment of a ransom.

The OPP said most attacks are launched either through direct hacking into a vulnerable system or through phishing emails that urge users to click on files or links that then install the malware. Payment is usually demanded in Bitcoin or some other form of cryptocurrency, the OPP said.

That scenario played out this month in Midland, Ont., according to Mayor Gord McKay.

On Sept. 1, officials discovered that many of the town’s servers had been compromised and locked down. McKay did not disclose how big a ransom was paid through an insurance company to the hackers, and said the attack remains under investigation.

McKay said the attack crippled Midland’s financial systems, but said it was not as devastating as it may have been had it happened three months ago.

At that time, a ransomware attack on the nearby town of Wasaga Beach, Ont., prompted Midland’s officials to take out insurance to protect against such an incident, he said.

McKay said he has heard of several similar instances.