The exterior of Saint John City Hall is pictured in this file photo. (Staff photo)
The City of Saint John has shut down all of its IT systems following a “significant cyber attack.”
City officials announced the cyber incident Sunday evening in a statement released on social media.
The shutdown includes access to the city’s website, online payment systems, email and customer service applications.
“We do not yet know whether personal information stored on our networks has been compromised,” said the statement. “As a precaution, we recommend that users of our systems regularly check their bank accounts and credit cards for suspicious activity.”
The city first posted about its website being “temporarily unavailable” early Saturday afternoon. At the time, it did not say why the website was down.
The city said it is coordinating with federal and provincial agencies and working with its partners to help manage any risks.
“At this time, we are continuing our efforts to contain and eradicate the virus and restore our systems,” it said. “A timeline can not yet be provided for full recovery.”
The city said it has stopped accepting payments for any services it provides, such as water bills and parking tickets, until the systems are restored, adding that no late fees will be applied.
The 911 communication centre remains operational for all emergency response and calls to the city’s customer service number will continue to be addressed on a priority basis.
News Release from City of Saint John. Follow us for updates. pic.twitter.com/xl80FsXBcz
— City of Saint John (@cityofsaintjohn) November 15, 2020
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