Some Toronto Transit online services down after ransomware attack

Toronto’s public transit authority is reporting outages in some of its online services following a ransomware attack that targeted the agency earlier in the week.

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The Toronto Transit Commission, which operates the city’s bus, subway, streetcar and paratransit services, has been dealing with the attack on its computer systems since Thursday. 

While most services are operating as usual, spokeswoman Shabnum Durrani says customers can’t currently find out when the next transit vehicle is due to arrive.

She says the attack has affected apps such as Rocketman that provide route information in real-time, as well as systems that display arrival details in city subway stations. 

Durrani says the online booking system for Wheel-Trans, the authority’s paratransit service, is also down due to the attack, but notes the TTC can still honour booking requests made before the attack took place and customers can still arrange for new trips by phone.

She says the attack has also left TTC employees unable to use their internal email system.

Ransomware is a form of malicious software intended to damage or disable access to encrypted data. Those behind such attacks typically demand payment to release or regain access to the compromised systems.

Durrani says the TTC is working with the Toronto police to probe the incident, but a police spokesman says he doesn’t have information about an ongoing investigation. 

The TTC did not offer an estimate as to when affected services would be restored. 

The TTC provides public transit service for up to 1.7 million people every weekday in Toronto and surrounding municipalities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2021.

The Canadian Press