The City of Saint John says a data breach involving its online parking ticket payment site may have impacted thousands of people since early 2017.
City officials first learned about the breach involving third-party software Click2Gov on Dec. 21 through media reports.
They shut down their payment site and contacted the provider, CentralSquare Technologies, who launched a forensic analysis.
“Preliminary findings from the forensic analysis indicate that the breach involved multiple instances when an unknown source gained access to confidential customer information on the city’s server through the Click2Gov payment system,” the city said Monday in a news release.
Dozens Of Municipalities Affected
According to the city, they are one of 46 customers of CentralSquare Technologies who are impacted by the data breach.
Information exposed through the breach includes names, mailing address and credit card information, including expiry dates and security codes.
Update: Forensic Analysis Underway For Data Breach That Compromised Parking Ticket Payment System https://t.co/4sXnrmty2P
— City of Saint John (@cityofsaintjohn) December 31, 2018
Officials said while the exact dates of the attacks are unknown, the first case of malicious activity has been traced back to May of 2017.
“The breach only affects customers who made parking ticket payments online or by phone as staff process payments using the online Click2Gov application,” the city said.
Anyone who paid parking tickets online or by phone should monitor their credit card accounts and contact their financial institution if they notice any suspicious activity.
Cybersecurity Strategy
Just four days before the city learned of the breach, council approved an agreement with the Canadian Institute of Cybersecurity as part of a commitment to a larger, more comprehensive municipal cybersecurity strategy.
The institute will begin conducting a threat assessment on all city systems, including online payment applications, on Jan. 7.
Story by Brad Perry
Twitter: @BradMPerry
Email: perry.brad@radioabl.ca
(Photo: freeimages.com)
