Leduc County target of Christmas Day cybersecurity attack

Leduc County says it learned it was the target of a ransomware attack on Christmas Day.

Leduc County said it was the target of a deliberate cybersecurity attack which disabled some of the county’s information technology (IT) systems.

A news release issued Sunday afternoon said the county became aware of the incident, which has been identified as a ransomware attack, on Dec. 25.

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Other IT systems have been proactively disabled during an ongoing forensic investigation. Key stakeholders, including RCMP and the county’s insurance and banking providers have been notified.

Services unavailable include the county’s email platform, it’s safety codes permits and development permits online portal, as well as website form submissions.

Mounties said they received a report of a ransomware attack on Leduc County at 6:20 p.m. Christmas Day but did not have further details on the investigation.

“This is the type of incident no organization wants to go through,” says Leduc County Mayor Tanni Doblanko in a statement. “Fortunately for the county, the attack was caught quickly and administration was able to engage experts, disable systems and learn more about what we are dealing with.”

The forensic investigation is still underway, but preliminary information confirms minimal information has been affected, said the county.

Doblanko said information about the investigation will be shared as soon as it is available with residents and stakeholders over the county’s website.

The county said it is completing the work necessary to resume normal business operations but did not provide a timeline.