Members of the city’s Internal Audit Committee spent more than an hour in-camera at a meeting last Thursday, Sept. 12.
The subject: “Cyber Security Audit Update.” The subject matter: Closely guarded.
Speaking at city council’s regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 17, Coun. Sheena Hughes, chair of the audit committee, said there was no nefarious reason for the closed-door meeting, saying the update from staff was as routine as an upcoming report on the human resources department would be.
“It’s really great that we did it,” Hughes said. “It’s certainly giving us a framework to move forward and confidence in where we are right now. I’m really glad we did it.”
The next audit to be conducted will examine the city’s Human Resources and Safety wing, expected to be completed in 2025. The order of the audits is related to “general risk,” not any specific weakness or vulnerability in a given area.
“It’s not an indication there is a problem with human resources, just like there was not really a problem with cyber security,” Hughes said. “It was to give us a checkup on it.”
The update comes at a time when municipalities in Alberta have been the target of bad actors in cyberspace.
On Jan. 31, the Town of Westlock suffered a ransomware attack that compromised the personal information of 1,633 residents who use pre-authorized payment plans, and businesses and employees who use electronic fund transfers (EFTs).
And on July 23, Cold Lake had to shut down its servers after a “successful cyber attack breaching its online security systems.
The attack came as a form of ransomware and viruses, encrypting and damaging files and back-ups across multiple servers, according to a statement on the city’s website.
The breach caused widespread disruption, impacting phone systems, payment processes, and email communications across all city facilities, including City Hall, the Energy Centre, FCSS, Public Works, the marina, the golf course, and the transfer station. The city’s recovery lasted into August.
Municipalities are far from alone: a 2023 survey showed more than half of Alberta companies had fended off hackers in the previous year.
