The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has been grappling with a cyberattack that has rendered its systems, including email, inoperative. According to the Department of Environmental Quality, the incident, first reported on Wednesday, has forced DEQ to shut down networks to isolate agency servers. Microsoft's cybersecurity team and the Department of Administrative Services Enterprise Information Services (EIS) are involved in the recovery effort. Both teams are working around the clock to analyze and resolve the issue.
In the latest statement, DEQ has reassured the public that there is "no evidence of a data breach." Despite this, the effects of the cyberattack are palpable as the agency has had to close its vehicle inspection stations and acknowledged that its communication capabilities are severely compromised. Given the gravity of the situation, even while staff are working tirelessly to restore services, it's expected to be several days before DEQ resumes normal operations.
Moving forward, DEQ has placed a high priority on re-establishing services at vehicle inspection stations. In light of the email system's shutdown, the agency asks that anyone needing to reach DEQ representatives do so by phone. Additionally, while the help desk is currently unavailable due to the attack, DEQ has confirmed that "Your DEQ Online", the environmental data management system hosted on a separate server, is still operational and accessible to the public.
