The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) faced a cyberattack, causing a major disruption. The agency announced that its computer systems would be down through the end of the week. The attack prompted DEQ officials to take immediate action to contain the issue and assess its impact. Vehicle inspection stations are closed until Friday, affecting many people. However, the DEQ’s “Your DEQ Online” environmental data system was not impacted by the cyberattack. It is hosted on a separate server, making it immune to the breach.
The DEQ discovered the attack on Wednesday morning. They quickly began an investigation and shut down the affected networks. This preemptive action was taken to prevent further spread of the cyberattack. Enterprise Information Services, the IT team, is leading the investigation. They are working to determine how the attack occurred and what systems were affected. Although the agency has not received ransom demands, officials believe the attack may not be ransomware-related. The DEQ is focused on containing the attack and restoring normal operations as soon as possible.
The DEQ is cooperating with cybersecurity experts to fully assess the situation.
They are closely examining their IT infrastructure for any vulnerabilities. Currently, no sensitive data has been compromised in the attack. The agency has emphasized the urgency of restoring its systems. The investigation into the attack is still ongoing, and the DEQ is committed to finding answers.
They are also working to prevent future cyber incidents by strengthening their security measures.
The DEQ issued an apology for the inconvenience caused by the attack. They acknowledged the disruption to vehicle inspection services and other operations. The agency is making efforts to resume normal services as quickly as possible. They are also taking steps to enhance their cybersecurity to avoid similar issues in the future. The DEQ reassured the public that they are addressing the situation with full urgency. They promised to provide updates as the investigation and recovery process continues.
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