The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is taking precautionary measures to ensure it's better protected in case of an emergency or a cyberattack in the future.
Approval was granted from Council Monday night to start an organization wide Business Continuity Management Program (BCMP), including consulting services to develop a governance structure, prioritization framework, templates, training and testing program for service level plans.
The program will ensure continuity of municipal services critical for the safety of Chatham-Kent in the event of a disaster, said CK Director of Information Technology and Transformation Catherine Fitzgerald and Director of Legal Services Dave Taylor in their joint report.
It will also instill confidence in service availability and maintain the reputation of the municipality, they said.
A Business Continuity Management Program includes the prioritization of municipal services according to the strategic needs of the Council, the community and administration, the report stated.
"Every business unit of the municipality relies on technology for service delivery. Increases in the frequency and severity of local emergencies and the rise of cybersecurity attacks has increased the likelihood and impact of disruption to municipal services. The lack of a BCMP can result in more service disruption, higher recovery costs and a potential loss of information. A BCMP provides a framework for the municipality to plan, prepare and exercise business continuity plans when not experiencing a crisis, and optimize resource planning in the event of a disaster," wrote Fitzgerald and Taylor in their report.
Administration said non-critical services and information may be supported by less complex and expensive technology solutions that still support business continuity, but perhaps require a longer restoration time for digital service delivery.
"Matching the technology architecture and costs ensures the municipality is prioritizing technology spend based on the services that primarily impact our community safety, productivity, and the reputation of the municipality," reported staff.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance was hit by a massive ransomware attack almost a year ago that disrupted services and affected nearly 70,000 patients.