At 6:22 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, an external party temporarily gained access to the City’s servers and attempted to encrypt data files within the network. Automated security systems immediately responded, containing the impact to a small number of files. As a precautionary measure, internal network communication lines were shut down, temporarily affecting online customer portals on the City’s website and mobile applications. An exact timeline for the restoration of online services is not available, but a general estimate is that noticeable outages of online services will last through Sunday evening.
Most online services available on the City’s website and mobile application will be affected, including:
- Building permits,
- Brush and Bulky Item Collection (BABIC) service requests,
- Code enforcement complaints,
- Eisemann Center event ticket sales,
- Municipal Court payments,
- Pet registration,
- Utility payments (solid waste/water), and
- Other customer service portals.
The specific type of data compromised is still under assessment, and there is no early indication sensitive data was accessed.
While access is limited, essential services such as emergency response via 911 and the City’s 24-hour response line (972-744-4111) remain available.
The City is cooperating with the FBI, which is investigating the incident, and efforts are underway to restore internal systems by replacing equipment and recovering information from backups. The Department of Homeland Security has also been notified of the incident and is alerting other agencies to increase awareness for any sign of other incidents.
Additional updates will be provided at the City’s website when further information is available.
Website: www.cor.net/CyberFAQ
