CodeRED Automated Alert System — External Cybersecurity Incident

The City of Pointe-Claire is informing residents that a cybersecurity incident has occurred at OnSolve. This company is responsible for the “CodeRED” automated alert system used by the City to notify residents during emergency situations. This system operates entirely independently from the City’s municipal systems. As a result, none of the City’s technological infrastructure has been affected, and the situation is strictly limited to the external provider, OnSolve.

According to information provided by OnSolve, data associated with the CodeRED platform was extracted from their systems by an unauthorized third party in November and may be made public. The personal information that CodeRED holds and that was affected by this incident includes basic contact details: name, address, phone number, and email address, as well as the created password used for the user account on the platform.

CodeRED and its associated accounts are no longer accessible. The main risk linked to this incident relates to the reuse of the same CodeRED password for other services. If you used your CodeRED password for any other online service, it is strongly recommended that you change those passwords immediately and replace them with a unique and strong password for each digital service. As always, remain vigilant when receiving unsolicited or unexpected communications.

The City of Pointe-Claire would like to reassure residents that: 

• no municipal system was affected,
• our infrastructure remains secure. 

OnSolve is continuing its investigation and working to restore the integrity of its platform. The City is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to keep residents informed of any significant developments.

Transition to a New Quebec-Based Alert System Already Underway 

Since this fall, the City of Pointe-Claire has begun a request for quotation to identify a Quebec or Canadian company to serve as its new alert system. 

This procedure was planned prior to the cybersecurity incident involving the external provider. It was initiated to comply with requirements under Law 25, which modernizes the protection of personal information. The City continues to regularly review its practices and those of its suppliers to ensure they meet appropriate security standards.