Some online government services in Vicksburg are unavailable due to a ransomware attack.
Mayor Willis Thompson confirmed that officials are investigating a cybersecurity incident that targeted the city’s computer systems. While emergency services are up and running, other functions are offline until further notice. The mayor said that online payments cannot be made for utility services and those who choose to pay in person should expect delays.
There will be neither penalties nor a termination of utilities for those who are late on payments while services are offline.
“The City has implemented its incident response protocols and is working with external cybersecurity specialists and other appropriate partners to conduct a thorough investigation,” Willis said in a statement. “The City is also working to restore its systems in a secure manner and will continue to provide updates on its status.”
The mayor said investigators are working to determine whether or not the personal or confidential information of customers, contractors, vendors, employees, and affiliates was compromised as part of the attack. The city has yet to determine what information those responsible for the ransomware attack had access to.
“If the investigation determines that personal or confidential information was compromised, the City will communicate with those affected, as appropriate, and provide information and resources to help them protect their information,” Thompson continued. “The City is working diligently to assess the nature and scope of the incident, restore affected systems securely, and protect the integrity of City information and technology infrastructure.”
Thompson asked the public for patience at this time. The city plans to provide updates to the public as more information becomes available. Officials do not plan to go into detail about the investigation and its findings to protect online systems from future attacks.