Cyberattack Disrupts Online Payments and Closes Bernalillo Motor Vehicle Office
Summary
Bernalillo officials said a cyberattack froze public-facing systems, blocking online water-bill payments and closing the motor vehicle office. Emergency services remained operational; officials have not said whether resident information was exposed.
Key points
- Town officials identified a cyberattack after initially suspecting an internet outage; the attack's precise start date is unclear.
- Public-facing systems were frozen and inaccessible online, blocking water-bill payments and closing the motor vehicle office.
- Residents can pay water bills in person or by phone; late fees and water-service disconnections are suspended during recovery.
- Police and fire services remained operational, and officials reported no interruption to water delivery.
- The town contacted the FBI and is working with state cybersecurity officials and outside specialists to restore services and data.
- Officials have not disclosed whether resident information was exposed, when online services will return, or whether ransomware or a specific group was involved.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Town of Bernalillo
- Incident Type
- Cyberattack that froze and made public-facing systems inaccessible online, disrupting online water-bill payments and closing the motor vehicle office.
- Operational Impact
- Public-facing systems were frozen and inaccessible online. The motor vehicle office closed; other employees continued working. Online water-bill payments were unavailable, while police and fire emergency services remained operational and no interruption to water delivery was reported. The attack's start date and service-restoration date are unknown.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- The town has not identified ransomware or reported ransom or extortion activity.
- Claim Status
- confirmed