Everett, Massachusetts, closed City Hall to the public Tuesday after a cybersecurity incident affected its internal network and technology systems, shifting most essential employees to another municipal building.
The city said in a Monday announcement that it discovered the incident Sunday evening and began working with its technology team and cybersecurity professionals. It did not identify the affected systems.
Only essential employees were told to report Tuesday, with most working from the Connolly Center. Police, fire, public works, public schools and public libraries would continue normal operations, the city said. Third-party systems used for online bill payments and other transactions also remained available.
“Our priority is to ensure the security of our systems and infrastructure while also investigating the full scope of the incident,” Van Campen said. He said the city’s technology department and police were working to restore full operations.
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Everett has not disclosed the initial access method or whether malware was involved. It also has not said whether data was accessed or copied, systems were encrypted, an extortion demand was received or a suspected actor was identified.
Everett is a city of more than 50,000 residents immediately north of Boston.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Springfield Public Schools closed all 64 schools Tuesday and canceled after-school activities after a cyber incident disrupted systems needed for essential operations.
Officials said they would decide later whether City Hall would reopen Wednesday. Everett did not respond to questions from DysruptionHub before publication.
