In a significant cybersecurity incident, the Rural Municipality of Ritchot has experienced a disruption in its billing system that has specifically affected the processing of utility bills for its residents. On December 24, the municipality reported on its website that their servers and systems were down, leading to the inevitable consequence that bill payment deadlines will likely be extended once access to the affected servers is fully restored. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are investigating the situation and have assured that there have been no financial losses reported so far. Moreover, both the RCMP and the municipality’s cybersecurity firm are diligently working to determine if any data was stolen during the attack or if any demands were made by the perpetrators. As of now, CTV News is awaiting further updates from the Rural Municipality of Ritchot. The key elements of this incident revolve around the disruption caused by the cyber attack, the detailed ongoing investigations, and the proactive measures being taken to rectify and manage the situation effectively.
