A cyberattack has affected some Northern Mariana Islands government email accounts, leaving some users without access, officials said Thursday.
The outage could slow routine government work for affected employees. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is a U.S. territory in the western Pacific.
The Office of Information Technology said the attack affected certain government email accounts and that it had begun “systemwide security protocols and corrective actions” to restore full functionality.
The notice was published May 21 by Marianas Press as a Department of Finance press release. The office described the incident as a “cyber-attack,” but did not identify an attack type, threat actor or initial access method.
Officials directed affected government users to OIT support while mitigation work continues. OIT also reminded users not to click suspicious links, open unknown attachments or respond to unexpected password or personal information requests.
The Department of Finance website lists OIT among its divisions. The department says its mission includes managing public funds, enforcing tax and customs laws, and maintaining accountability for government assets.
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The government has not publicly confirmed ransomware, data theft or a ransom demand. Officials also have not said whether any public-facing services beyond email were disrupted. DysruptionHub could not independently confirm any ransomware claim tied to the incident from the reviewed sources. Officials did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The email incident followed a May 2 cyber incident that disrupted multiple Government of Guam websites, where officials said emergency response operations were not affected and services continued through alternate channels. Both incidents came weeks after Super Typhoon Sinlaku threatened the Mariana Islands, prompting emergency preparations in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
OIT said it would continue providing updates as restoration progresses. Officials have not said how many accounts were affected, whether any email content was accessed or when full access will return.
