The “cyber incident” at Cleveland City Hall and its satellite offices at Erieview Plaza was not just a minor disruption. It was a significant event that led to a temporary shutdown of most internal systems, drawing public attention on the evening of June 9, 2024. This incident has underscored the critical need for robust cybersecurity in municipal operations.
The temporary system shutdown was performed to prevent further damage and facilitate an investigation. The next step was to inform the staff that they would not have access to these systems, close offices the following day, and ensure that only essential staff would perform their duties.
Fortunately, emergency services such as 911, police, fire, and EMS operated normally. The Department of Public Utilities and city airports were also unaffected.
During the press conference on Monday, June 10th, Mayor Bibb and Commissioner of IT Kim Roy Wilson took the lead in addressing the incident. They provided limited details to protect the ongoing investigation, emphasizing that the closure was a precautionary measure. They also assured the public that efforts were underway to restore key IT systems.
Cleveland City Hall and Erieview Plaza offices remained closed for another day as a precaution while the investigation continued and restoration efforts progressed.
UPDATE: City Hall has reopened this Wednesday, June 12th, but certain services are temporarily disrupted.
Cleveland City Hall reopening Wednesday following mysterious "cyber incident." https://t.co/VvghDLo3ih pic.twitter.com/z3cWf9tZnd
— News 5 Cleveland (@WEWS) June 12, 2024
For instance, the city cannot currently process payments, permits, or applications for the Building and Housing Department. While submissions can be dropped off, no receipts will be provided. Residents are asked to postpone any Building and Housing Department business at City Hall until further notice. And birth certificates can’t be issued for now.
Precautionary measures and response
While the full extent of the breach is still under investigation, the swift response and precautionary measures taken by city officials have helped to contain the situation and minimize disruption to critical services.
This incident underscores the crucial need for continuous vigilance and preparedness in cybersecurity, including having an incident response plan ready for any predictable incident.
Proven Data watches this case closely, as Cleveland is our headquarters, and cybersecurity is our cornerstone. Contact our cyber security experts to protect your business against cyberattacks and ensure it is ready to respond to any cyber incident quickly and without further damage.
