The City of Aberdeen released a statement regarding a network security incident On Oct. 1, 2024.

When the incident was discovered the city’s Information Technology and Public Works Division immediately disconnected all affected and potentially affected systems.

An investigation was launched by the Aberdeen Police Department in collaboration with the United States Secret Service, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Through the investigation, the City determined the security incident affected a Public Works network. At this time, we have seen no evidence of customer data or personal information being compromised. There will be no delays in any City-provided services and the City remains under normal operations.

Ruth Clements, city administrator says that the City of Aberdeen takes cybersecurity and data security very seriously. The response team is working diligently to identify the source and scope of the incident, assess potential vulnerabilities, implement additional security measures, as well as gather recommendations on mitigation, response and recovery plans. The City continues to work closely with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) during the investigation.

Out of an abundance of caution, the affected systems were immediately taken offline and will remain offline during the investigation and remediation process. Public works employees are working around the clock to ensure the City’s utility systems are operating normally.

Clemens said The nature of the attack is still under investigation and no further details will be released at this time. While the threat has been identified and contained, this continues to be a sensitive and ongoing matter.