The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is undergoing a meticulous rebuild process of its servers and employee computers in the aftermath of a cyber attack that shook its operations last week. Angel Gillette, the DEQ's Chief Information Officer, emphasized that security is their main priority as they bring DEQ back online. Steps are taken to bolster the cybersecurity framework within the department, which includes updated security software, new hardware, and the implementation of strict "cyber hygiene" policies to resume full server functionality by Friday, according to a statement obtained by DEQ's official updates.
DEQ's computers are essentially starting from scratch—servers are being wiped clean and employee computers are undergoing a complete operating system and Microsoft 365 reinstall, the situation has left most DEQ employees without laptops, forcing them to adapt by working through their phones—this scenario expectedly will lead to longer response times for DEQ communications. An internal incident command system has been established to streamline the distribution of rebuilt computers to staff, with DAS Enterprise Information Services on deck, having prepped 400 laptops for dispatch to DEQ offices as Gillette detailed.
Email services hit a snag, with communications being undeliverable from April 9 through April 11. GIT Director Angel Gillette advised that emails sent during this period did not go through and are unrecoverable. The DEQ has extended public comment periods for various environmental permits and rescheduled a public hearing for Molalla's water quality draft permit to accommodate the remission of lost correspondence. Those who emailed during the affected window need to resubmit their comments.
Recent updates highlight some progress, DEQ in partnership with the Department of Administrative Services Enterprise Information Services worked relentlessly through last weekend, resulting in vehicle inspection stations in Medford and the Portland area jumping back to life—though DEQ Too locations remain disconnected for the time being, despite setbacks, the DEQ systems have shown no evidence of any data breach and while patience is asked of the public the staff members are dedicated to working through a backlog of messages, the return to normalcy is anticipated to take several more days as evidenced by DEQ's consistent updates.
Continuing updates can be found on DEQ's newsroom posts, where the DEQ is keeping the public informed on the restoration progress and the availability of services like Your DEQ Online—their environmental data management system, which has remained operational and unaffected by the attack.
