The city of Flint has fallen victim to a criminal ransomware attack, leading to a widespread internal network and internet outage, beginning early on Wednesday. This cyberattack has disrupted various municipal services, affecting residents' and city employees' ability to access certain online capabilities. The FBI and the Attorney General’s Office are investigating the incident, as reported by ABC12.
Flint officials are urgently working with cybersecurity experts to securely resume services. As stated by Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley in a statement obtained by midmichigannow, “We are working hard to resolve this issue and to minimize disruption for Flint residents.” No concrete timeline for service restoration has been shared thus far.
While emergency services such as 911, dispatch, fire operations, and law enforcement remain fully operational, the ransomware attack has left some city employees without email access and intermittent voicemail services. In addition, a gap in the city's phone system has been reported, and the city encourages callers to exercise patience when trying to reach city services during normal business hours, as per information from ABC12.
The city's capacity to receive online or credit card payments has been compromised; hence, only cash and check payments are currently possible for water, sewer, and tax bills. In light of the circumstances, the city has communicated that no late fees or penalties will be levied, and no water shutoffs are to occur during the disruption, as mentioned by wilx.
Although the city's website remains largely accessible for navigation, certain linked platforms, like the BS&A and GIS maps, are unavailable. Public Works services, including waste collection, and water and sewer utilities, continue unabated. Additionally, the Office of Public Health is operating as usual, providing water testing kits and filters, according to wilx.
The privacy implications of the attack are also under close examination, as the city proactively investigates potential impacts on personal data of residents and employees. In response to this concern, the city has advised individuals to take precautionary measures against identity theft. The list of service impacts is set to be periodically updated on the city's website as restoration efforts continue, ensuring the public stays informed on the progression of service reactivation and potential cybersecurity developments.
