Ransomware reared its ugly head many times this year, but as the barrier to entry for deploying ransomware becomes frighteningly low, experts are warning that municipalities are becoming increasingly vulnerable. José Fernandez, a malware expert at Montreal's Polytechnique  engineering school, says provinces deserve some of the blame. "There has been a lack of leadership at the provincial government level when it comes to supervising, establishing standards, or even checking over the shoulders of municipalities from time to time," he says.