Ransomware Incident Forced Minot Water Plant to Use Manual Operations for 16 Hours
Summary
Minot officials said ransomware hit a water treatment plant server on March 14, forcing about 16 hours of manual operations. They said water remained safe; responsibility and whether data was accessed have not been publicly established.
Key points
- City officials said a server at Minot’s water treatment plant was hit by ransomware on March 14 and unplugged after a ransom message was found.
- Staff used manual procedures for about 16 hours while maintaining water pressure in storage facilities.
- Officials said the water supply remained safe and city operations continued.
- The message reportedly made no direct demand for money; no responsible actor or public claim of responsibility has been identified.
- The FBI is reportedly investigating, but officials have not publicly detailed the affected system, full restoration timeline, or whether data was accessed.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- City of Minot water treatment plant
- Incident Type
- Ransomware incident affecting a water treatment plant server
- Incident Date
- 2026-03-14
- Disclosure Date
- 2026-03-31
- Operational Impact
- Staff switched to manual procedures for about 16 hours after the server was hit and unplugged. Officials said the water supply remained safe, water pressure was maintained, and the city stayed operational. Whether data was accessed and the full restoration timeline were not publicly disclosed.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- Officials said the on-screen note did not include a direct demand for money, and there was no further interaction with the sender.
- Claim Status
- confirmed