Mississippi mayor says ransomware incident led city to shut down systems
Ransomware forced Vicksburg, Mississippi, to shut city systems, disrupting utility payments but not emergencies.
Mayor Willis Thompson said a ransomware attack led Vicksburg, Mississippi, to temporarily shut down city computer systems. Emergency services continued, but utility payments were affected; the city said it will not cut off services or charge late penalties while the investigation continues. Vicksburg is working with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, state officials, and private cybersecurity experts. It has not determined whether personal or confidential data was accessed and did not identify the attackers or any ransom demand. The city has more than 20,000 residents.
- Mayor confirmed ransomware and a temporary shutdown of city systems.
- Utility payments were disrupted; emergency services were not.
- FBI and DHS are assisting the investigation and recovery.
- The city has not determined whether personal data was accessed.
- Vicksburg has more than 20,000 residents.
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A ransomware attack has shut down the computer systems of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the city’s mayor told residents on Thursday evening. Mayor Willis Thompson published a statement in the local newspaper saying the city is investigating a ransomware attack that has not impacted emergency services but has affected payments for utilities. He said the system shutdown was “temporary.” Thompson said no one's services will be shut off while the investigation is ongoing and no penalties will be issued for late payments. He later told the Vicksburg Post that the city has been working on the recovery effort with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and other state officials alongside private cybersecurity experts. “One of the top priorities of our investigation is determining whether there was any compromise of personal or confidential information relating to current and/or former customers, contractors, vendors, employees, or affiliated business partners of the City,” Thompson said in a statement. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and the City has not reached a final determination regarding what information, if any, may have been accessed or acquired without authorization.” The city did not respond to requests for comment about ransom demands or the identity of the attackers. Thompson’s statement said the city will not be disclosing any technical information “that could interfere with the investigation, recovery efforts, or the security of City systems.” Vicksburg has more than 20,000 residents and is about 40 minutes west of the state’s capital of Jackson. The state recently dealt with a devastating ransomware attack on the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) — the largest and most important healthcare organization in the state. The hospital system — which has the state’s only children's hospital, only Level I trauma center, only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and the state’s only organ transplant programs — spent weeks in the dark after the attack and needed FBI assistance to recover. Ransomware gangs also targeted a prominent electricity utility in Mississippi last year and another county in 2023.
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Jonathan Greig
is a Breaking News Reporter at Recorded Future News. Jonathan has worked across the globe as a journalist since 2014. Before moving back to New York City, he worked for news outlets in South Africa, Jordan and Cambodia. He previously covered cybersecurity at ZDNet and TechRepublic.