The question is not if a municipality will have a
cyber-attack, the question is when it will occur.
Victims of a cybersecurity attack are no longer just those which
have been traditionally seen as the likely targets, such as
large-scale financial institutions or other high-profile
gatekeepers of valuable information. Today, all municipalities,
regardless of scale, should be prepared for a cybersecurity
incident.
Municipalities are subject to The Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba)
("FIPPA"), which includes specific obligations with
respect to safeguarding the personal information a municipality
collects and notification of individuals in the event of a security
breach. As of January 1, 2022, failure to comply with FIPPA's
breach notification requirements may result in a fine of up to
$50,000.00.
