Hackers have breached the computer systems of a Montreal borough, leaving officials unable to say whether residents’ personal or financial data has been compromised.
The borough of Anjou said Tuesday that its systems, including its phone services, had been affected since last Thursday.
“The borough is aware of the concerns that this situation may generate, but it is still too early to determine” whether any data was accessed, officials said in response to questions from The Gazette.
It’s also still too early to say how long the disruption will last or when operations will return to normal. No other Montreal boroughs are known to have been affected, the borough said.
A specialized cybersecurity firm has been hired to determine the circumstances of the breach, the borough added.
All services remained available at their usual locations and phone numbers, although permit applications and payments had been temporarily moved to the Accès Montréal office at 7701 Louis-H.-La Fontaine Blvd.
Residents seeking to contact the borough by email can do so at arrondissement.anjou@montreal.ca temporarily. They can also call 311.
The borough said it has filed a formal complaint with the Montreal police.
In a statement, the City of Montreal said: “The city’s information technology service is working together with the borough to resolve the situation and ensure a return to normal as soon as possible.”