The City of Hamilton experienced a devastating cybersecurity failure on February 25, 2024. The City claims the hackers were only in the City network for 20 days. The failure was discovered when the City’s primary server crashed.
The City did not have any separations within its network, with all city computers considered compromised, and nearly all city services including fire dispatch, library borrowing, and HSR bus announcements knocked out.
Since February, the City has been minimizing the impact of its failure, often only admitting to problems after they are evident to the public.
This week, the City’s planning department revealed it had no recoverable backups of its AMANDA database, meaning it lost all records of legal non-confirming zoning uses.
The most likely explanations are that the City was not keeping backups beyond two weeks, hoping to avoid freedom of information requests, or did not keep any off-site backups.
City Council has yet to have any public discussion about the cybersecurity failure. Friday’s Council agenda includes a closed session discussion about the matter, with the City claiming any updates (such as when public computers at the public library will be restored) would compromise the security of the city’s computer network.
No Network Time Protocol on City Network
The City’s computer network is still unable to sync clocks, nearly five months after the City experienced a cybersecurity failure.
The City of Hamilton livestreams its meetings using Open Broadcaster Software, the display clock on the livestream shows the what City’s desktop computer thinks is the time.
The computer’s clock is now nearly two minutes behind, revealing that the City new intranet network does not yet have a network time protocol.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 Published: July 11, 2024 Last updated: July 11, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Update Record v. 1.0.0 original version
There is so much more to this. It is horrifying. IT security has never been a priority and only an after thought. More questions need to be asked.
Stop paying yr property taxes, any parking fines, anything, related to this corrupt city.
Unacceptable.
No back up.
No off site storage of backup discs.
Pure incompetence of city councillors and a washed up useless corrupt has been career politician masquerading as a “mayor”.
Totally unacceptable.
Time to make some noise Hamilton.
Being treated like 3rd world citizens paying enormous taxes for sweet all in return.