The Town of Midland ’ s computer systems were hacked over the long weekend . In the early morning hours of Sept 1 , the town became the victim of a cyberattack Attack.Ransom in which the town ’ s network was illegally accessed and infected with ransomware . The malware was able to encrypt a number of town systems rendering them unusable . The town has received a ransom demand Attack.Ransom to decrypt them . Town staff worked quickly to isolate the attacked and activate a cyber incident investigation . According to town staff , the necessary steps are being taken to restore access to the system and files and to try and return operations to normal as quickly as possible . “ Residents can rest assured that we are taking this matter extremely seriously , ” said Mayor Gord McKay . “ We are working closely with cybersecurity experts that specialize in these types of illegal attacks , and we have reported the incident to law enforcement and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. ” Vital services , such as fire and water and wastewater management , were not impacted as these systems are purposely isolated for security reasons . Ongoing investigations have not found any evidence that information was removed Attack.Databreach from the system or inappropriately accessed Attack.Databreach and cybersecurity experts are working quickly to rule out that possibility . In late April , Wasaga Beach had their computer systems hacked and locked down for several weeks . The town eventually paid Attack.Ransom the hackers three Bitcoins , worth approximately $ 34,000 . However , other costs including loss of productivity , new hardware and consultant fees were estimated at a combined $ 250,000 . Based on the recommendations outlined a recent service delivery review and lessons learned from the cyberattack in Wasaga Beach , Midland had secured an insurance policy for protection in the event of such illegal activities . A strategy to address cybersecurity threats had been developed , which the town was in the process of implementing . “ At the time of the attack the town was in the process of making several improvements to our IT security , ” said Midland chief administrative officer John Skorobohacz . “ Once systems are fully restored , we will continue with those plans and look for additional opportunities to enhance our security based on the guidance of cybersecurity experts . ”