Adrian Johnson
TLDR: Some City Services Restored After Wichita Cyber Attack
Key Points:
- Wichita, Kansas experienced a ransomware attack on May 5, causing several city services to go offline.
- Most of the city’s court system is back online, public Wi-Fi at libraries has been restored, and residents can pay water bills online again.
Full Article:
After experiencing a ransomware attack on May 5, the City of Wichita in Kansas faced several city services going offline. However, as more than a month has passed, some services are now back up and running. The cyber attack rendered online water bill payments, some city building Wi-Fi, electronic payments, and more unusable. Ransomware attacks are when files on a device are encrypted, making them and any systems reliant on them unusable, and malicious actors demand ransom in exchange for decryption.
As of a recent press release from the city, here are the updates on the restored city services:
Water Bills: Online water bill payments have been restored and customers can expect to start receiving statements again. The city has provided information on handling delays in payments due to the outage and is offering payment plans to help manage any financial difficulties.
Public Libraries: Public Wi-Fi is now available at all library locations, and manual check-in and check-out of materials is possible. However, certain online services like customer account information, renewals, hold requests, and online databases are still unavailable.
The Airport: Departure screens at the Dwight D. Eisenhower airport are still offline, but are expected to be back up soon.
Municipal Court: Most of the court system is functioning online, but the city advises contacting the court directly to verify information before a court date.
The city assures that all other systems not mentioned above should be up and running smoothly. The recovery process is ongoing, and residents are encouraged to stay informed and reach out for assistance if needed.
