Follow up on the ransomware attack

Category :
October 20, 2020

Last fall, the Town of Montreal West was victim of a ransomware attack. As soon as the threat was discovered, the Town hired a team of cyber security experts to put all necessary measures in place to remove all traces of the virus and secure the environment. The network was quickly restored, and an investigation was opened to better understand the origin and the impact of the virus attack. Rest assured that the situation is now under control.

There is no evidence that any personal information has been accessed, used or communicated but the Town does not want to take any risks and has decided to offer free credit monitoring surveillance with TransUnion to those whose information may have been compromised.

Further communication has been mailed to all affected individuals. In the case where you didn’t receive a letter from the Town of Montreal West, this means you have not been impacted by this situation.

We thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

How do I know if my information may have been accessed?

Affected individuals will receive further communication by mail. If you do not receive such a letter from the Town, it means that you have not been affected by the situation.

 

I have used Amilia to register for a Town activity in the past, has my credit card information been compromised?

The Amilia database, including personal credit card information, was not compromised during this attack. There has been no evidence of any data exfiltration, nor was there any financial information in the documents.

 

I received a notice advising me that my information may have been accessed. What should I do?

In order to benefit from this protection, an activation code is provided in the attached letter. We invite you to follow the instructions provided in this letter and to refer directly to TransUnion with any questions regarding the registration for the service.

Check your accounts and recent statements for suspicious activities and report any unauthorized activity

  • to your financial institution
  • to TransUnion (1-800-663-9980)
  • to police authorities
  • and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501)

 

What type of information may have been accessed?

The infected computers contained documents compiling various personal information such as snow removal permits, parking permits and election workers. As such, the following types of personal information may have been accessed: name, phone number, address, and email address.  

In the case of election workers, additional information such as social insurance numbers and birth dates may have been accessed.

 

How many people have been affected by this cyberattack?

Approximately 1100 individuals may have been affected by this incident. However, there is no evidence that any personal information has been accessed, used or communicated but the Town does not want to take any risks given the nature of the attack and the properties of the malicious software. As such, as a measure of additional vigilance, the Town has decided to offer free credit monitoring surveillance with TransUnion to those whose information may have been compromised.

 

Other questions?

Fill out the contact form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.