The Municipality of Brighton continues to respond to a cybersecurity incident discovered July 10 2026, involving its email systems.
Upon becoming aware of the incident, the Municipality immediately activated its cybersecurity incident response procedures and began taking steps to contain the incident. Officials are working with Northumberland County IT Services, who provide IT services for the municipality, and have also engaged a leading cybersecurity firm, to investigate the scope of the incident and protect municipal systems and information.
At this time, the investigation has determined that an unauthorized party gained access to the municipal email system and used it to send unauthorized emails. There is currently no indication that any other sensitive municipal or personal data has been accessed or affected, and there are currently no disruptions to services. The investigation remains ongoing; any affected individuals and partners will be contacted directly.
As a precaution, please use caution if receiving unexpected emails from the Municipality, especially any including links or attachments. Any such email should be deleted.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to always follow these email safety practices to help protect themselves from phishing and other fraudulent emails:
· Do not click unexpected links, open attachments or scan QR codes.
· Check the sender’s full email address, not just the displayed name.
· Be cautious of messages creating urgency, requesting immediate action or using threatening language.
· Do not provide passwords, banking details or other personal information by email.
· Verify unusual requests through a separate, trusted channel, such as calling the organization using a publicly listed telephone number.
· Rather than following an email link, visit the organization’s website by entering its known address directly into your browser.
· Delete suspicious messages.
· If you click a link or provide information, change passwords promptly.
The Municipality is taking all necessary steps to ensure the continued protection of all information and services. As this work progresses, the Municipality will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Ben Hagerman
Manager of Economic Development and Communications
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