City of Cleveland Shuts Down Services Following Cyber Incident

The City of Cleveland has announced the closure of City Hall and the Erieview office building as it investigates a significant cyber incident. While essential staff are still working, the city's primary IT systems have been shut down to secure and restore services. Emergency services and utilities remain unaffected.

The announcement was made yesterday, June 10, with further details released in a Twitter thread earlier today.

The City of Cleveland has been working closely with cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the attack. As part of ongoing security measures, the closure of key administrative buildings has been extended to today, June 11.

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲

(1/7) We are still investigating the nature and scope of the incident. The City is collaborating with several key partners who provide expert knowledge and deep experience in this work. pic.twitter.com/fyJWllidMj

— City of Cleveland (@CityofCleveland) June 10, 2024

Impact and investigations

Cleveland, with a population of approximately 383,000, is a significant urban center in Ohio and a key player in the region's economy. The city's infrastructure supports a diverse array of industries, from healthcare and manufacturing to financial services and education. Cleveland's role as a transportation hub, highlighted by its airports and port facilities, underscores its importance to the state and beyond.

The cyber incident substantially disrupts the city's administrative functions, impacting residents and businesses. With City Hall and Erieview closed, routine governmental operations and services have been temporarily halted, affecting everything from permit issuance to public meetings.

Despite the cyber incident, essential city services are still being provided. Public safety, public works, public utilities, and airport teams are actively working to maintain essential services for Cleveland residents.

Unaffected departments and services:

• The Department of Public Safety, including 911 services, Police, Fire, and EMS, remains fully operational.
• The Department of Port Control reports no disruptions, with Cleveland Hopkins and Burke Lakefront Airports continuing normal operations.
• The Department of Public Utilities, including water and power services, is functioning as usual.
• Municipal Courts are unaffected due to their reliance on a separate IT system.

The city has enlisted the help of cybersecurity professionals to conduct a thorough investigation and secure its systems.

Preliminary investigations suggest that certain city data, including taxpayer information held by the Central Collection Agency (CCA) and customer information managed by Public Utilities, have not been exposed.

The City of Cleveland announced it will continue to provide regular updates through social media, and residents seeking more information can also call the 311 service line.

So far, no ransomware groups have announced Cleveland as their victim, so the type of cyber incident that impacted the city remains unknown.