Montclair township says cyber attack took down IT systems and disrupted public services

Montclair, a township in the US state of New Jersey, said it suffered a cyber attack that affected its IT systems and disrupted several township services.

Sean M Spiller, the mayor of Montclair said in a recently released video posted on YouTube that the township’s IT department recently experienced a cyber security incident and quickly launched an internal investigation with assistance from third-party cyber security experts to understand the nature and scope of the incident. State and federal law enforcement authorities were also notified about the incident.

“At this time, it appears that a criminal group that has attacked multiple other municipalities in similar fashion is responsible,” Spiller said.

While law enforcement’s investigation is still ongoing, the township is focusing on restoring full access to the affected systems.

“The FBI, Homeland Security, and the cybersecurity experts will continue their focus in confirming the responsible group and next steps. Our Township will remain focused on protecting the system and restoring full access to our systems and services,” he said.

Mayor Spiller clarified that the incident did not affect the town’s voting systems and that members can cast their votes as usual.

“During this time, we ask for your patience as some of our services may be delayed. We will update you with additional information as it is available,” Mayor Spiller added.

In a statement shared with local news agencies, Councilor at Large Peter Yacobellis said, “Given that there is nothing residents need to do and critical services aren’t affected, I don’t think it was necessary to blast out a communication and worry people. I think constituents found it confusing and aren’t sure what it means to them.

“So the message that I want to get across to people simply is: If you’ve noticed any issues when trying to contact Township employees, it’s because we’re dealing with a cyber security issue that is affecting our servers. Things like this are always a good reminder to just make sure your own digital lives are secure,” Yacobellis added.