Flint, Michigan, latest city to suffer ransomware attack

The City of Flint, Michigan, suffered a ransomware attack last Wednesday that disrupted its network and telecommunications. The cyberattack is still disrupting several services, including the city’s payment system.

The city’s BS&A system, software used by local governments to manage municipal services, is offline, according to a statement the city issued Thursday. Officials said they haven’t determined whether personal data was compromised.

The statement confirmed that emergency services, public works and public health are operational and were not impacted in the cyberattack, which officials discovered after noticing disruptions to the city’s network.

“We are working hard to resolve this issue and to minimize disruption for Flint residents,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said in the city’s statement Thursday.

Located 66 miles northwest of Detroit, Flint is the largest city in Genesee County and home to about 80,000 people.

The city is only able to receive payments by cash and check and is unable to receive online or credit card payments for water, sewer and tax bills, according to the statement. The city has said residents will not accrue late fees or penalties and that the city will not turn off anyone’s water for late payment while the cyberattack is being addressed.

According to the city’s statement, some municipal employees can access their email inboxes, but the phone system is experiencing gaps in service, voicemail works sporadically and messages may have been lost.

According to the city’s statement, the city technology department is working with cybersecurity experts, the FBI and the state attorney general’s office to investigate.

No hacking group has yet claimed responsibility.

The City of Columbus, in neighboring Ohio, is still suffering the effects of a ransomware attack from last month that may have exposed personnel files, Social Security numbers and election administration information.