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Nevada ⁣State Agencies Recovering from​ Cyberattack, ⁤DMV Now⁤ Fully Operational

CARSON CITY, NV -⁢ August 28, 2023 – Nevada state agencies are working to fully restore operations ​following a widespread cyberattack that began last ‌week, with the Department of Motor Vehicles ​(DMV) now reporting it⁤ is indeed “100% fully operational.”

The Nevada State Police reported ⁤Thursday morning that administrative offices and‍ online services‍ had been unavailable ⁤due⁤ to ‌the network issue affecting multiple ‌state agencies. However, phone⁣ lines for the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) and dispatch ⁣remained operational throughout the outage, and troopers and‍ officers continued to provide public safety services.

the DMV announced that ‍canceled appointments will be honored as walk-ins for two⁣ weeks once systems are restored, and ‌any late fees incurred during the outage ‌will be‌ waived. ‍In a Facebook update, the DMV ‌acknowledged resident concerns, stating, ‌”We‍ hear you, and we are here​ for you during this statewide outage…⁣ We are actively coordinating with law enforcement agencies‍ to ensure they are aware of⁣ the situation and can provide appropriate consideration during this period.”

Other state agencies have been adjusting operations. The Nevada Department of Education stated its Carson ‌City and Las Vegas ⁢offices remain open‍ to assist with educator licenses. ⁢The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office reported it could not access ‍information ⁤about child support cases until the state’s NVKIDS system is restored. The Nevada Supreme Court experienced ​intermittent system functionality affecting email, phone systems, ⁣eFlex,​ and the public case portal,⁤ encouraging users to ‍continue attempting electronic filings.The Governor’s Office confirmed the state prioritized restoring‍ critical⁢ services and implemented temporary routing and operational workarounds. All systems are being validated before returning to normal ⁢operation. While no timeline for full restoration has been given, in-person ⁤services are expected to resume⁢ later​ this week.

Cybersecurity expert Chuck Flagg,‌ President of Orion Technologies, Inc. in Reno, suggested improved isolation tools could help prevent similar incidents. “If ⁢a threat actor does hit a specific computer, there are tools that will isolate that one computer that will⁢ not allow it ⁤to expand out,” Flagg said. He ‍emphasized the importance of software updates, stating, “If your servers and your computers are not updated, that is a huge risk that you’re putting yourself at. Putting all this⁢ stuff⁤ into ⁣place will dramatically reduce your risk going forward with cybersecurity.”

The FBI is continuing its investigation, and officials are prioritizing minimizing interference with the process. “The FBI wants to ⁣capture⁢ all of that⁢ data ⁤without⁤ having a bunch of users coming in and re-infecting​ or creating a problem for them,” Flagg explained.

Despite the disruption, the Governor’s Office confirmed that all state employees ⁢will be paid on time. Many employees‍ returned to the office on Tuesday, with others returning‌ as systems come back online.