City of Saint John, N.B., hit by cyber attack that prompts shutdown of IT systems

The City of Saint John, N.B., has shut down its information technology systems after it says it experienced a “significant” cyber attack.

The City says in a Facebook post that the 911 communication centre is operational, but many other online services have been shut down.

It says the city website, online payment systems and customer service applications are all down.

The city says it’s not yet clear whether any personal information was taken in the attack.

4:09 Better Business Bureau shares cyber tips after CRA hack

It says officials are working to “contain and eradicate” the virus and restore the systems, but they don’t yet know how long that will take.

Officials say that in the meantime, they won’t be accepting payments for any services, such as water bills and parking tickets — and no late fees will be applied once everything’s back up and running.

But the city notes that most routine services remain operational.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2020.