City of Cleveland’s Online Activities Reduced to Minimum by Cyberattack

• The City of Cleveland has acknowledged and started investigating a security incident affecting its systems.
• The cyberattack forced the local authorities to take public offices and facilities offline.
• The municipal courts and the airport are not impacted, while the City Hall is closed, and operations are reduced to a minimum.

A cyberattack against the systems of the City of Cleveland, Ohio, forced local authorities to close the offices at Erieview Plaza and City Hall and take down all internal systems and software platforms. The phone service was restored on Tuesday. 

Besides announcing the municipal courts and the airport are not impacted, local authorities have not disclosed any information on the scope of the attack or other details concerning the incident.

Police, fire, emergency medical services, and the city’s 911 dispatch center were not affected. Until the city’s systems can be switched back on, daytime 311 calls are handled by “after-hours operators.”

“We’ve been working around the clock with a multitude of partners to ensure we can contain the threat, manage the threat and alleviate the threat,” Mayor Justin Bibb said.

The incident was reported on June 10 and the City of Cleveland announced City Hall and Erieview Plaza will re-open on June 12 at 11 am. Data such as taxpayer information held by the CCA and customer information held by Public Utilities are confirmed to be unaffected, but nothing is known about city employees’ personal data being exposed.

Home to 362,000 residents and having a population of more than 2 million in the surrounding metropolitan area, Cleveland is the most prominent economic center in Ohio.

No official statements are available in regard to the possibility of this being a ransomware attack. However, when asked on Monday whether the city would consider paying a ransom, Bibb declined to respond.