Another town got attacked by a ransomware. This time it was ONWASA (Onslow Water and Sewer Authority) whose IT infrastructure had to bear the brunt of the raging fire of ransomware. The utility’s computers and servers were corrupted by the most common threat nowadays, ransomware.
So far, the utility has reassured that any information related to the consumers have not been stolen or affected. However, it is predicted that several of the utility’s databases may have to be rebuilt from scratch.
For ransomware removal and data recovery, the officials of OWNASA have contacted law enforcement agencies and authorities including the state of North Carolina, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI. A few security solutions providers are also being consulted at the moment. Recent investigations have cleared any doubts regarding the supply of water.
The attack was first being noticed on 4th October when the utility faced continuous attacks from a malware. Initially, it was thought that cyberthreat may have been nullified, but afterward, it was realized that the process of ransomware removal might not have been entirely successful. As a result, the utility began approaching external security experts for the prevention of any major loss. The security experts collaborated with the in-house security professionals of ONWASA for ransomware removal and recovery.
Due to the lack of computers, it is expected that the operations of ONWASA may face a noticeable decrease in productivity and results. For the time being, the utility is expected to function manually. Fortunately, the provision of water and wastewater services to consumers is not expected to be delayed.
The email servers have been affected in the breach; thus, customers cannot contact the utility via email. However, the phone service remains operational, which can be used by customers for credit card transactions.
