A ransomware attack Thursday at Woodhaven Lakes in northern Illinois knocked out phones and internet service, limited payments and closed facilities while the private camping resort worked to restore its network.
The members-only resort operates stores and facilities for campsite owners and their guests. Some services had returned by Saturday, but Woodhaven Lakes had not announced a broader restoration.
Woodhaven Lakes said the attack began Thursday morning and started encrypting locally stored Microsoft Office files and documents on on-premises storage devices. The association said it detected the activity and stopped it within a few hours.
The disruption was first disclosed as a phone and internet outage. The outage closed the resort’s service center and limited its store and recreation center to cash payments.
Assessment payments could not be made in person, although property owners could still pay online. Woodhaven Lakes provided a cellphone number for emergencies while its phone system was down.
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The association said its initial analysis found no breach of the Property Owner database. It said the encrypted files were backed up offsite and that it was working with its cyber insurer to analyze the attack, restore files and check systems before bringing them back online.
By Friday, the store had reopened, but phones and in-person assessment payments remained unavailable and the recreation center was still accepting only cash.
By Saturday, the store was again accepting credit cards and had resumed food service. Network maintenance kept the service center closed through Sunday, and the resort said it hoped to reopen the facility Monday.
Woodhaven Lakes has not identified who was behind the attack or how the intruders gained access to its network. The association also has not said whether the Office files were accessed or copied before being encrypted, or whether it received a ransom demand.
Woodhaven Lakes is a 1,756-acre recreational property owners’ association near Sublette, Illinois. The nonprofit limits membership to campsite owners and does not offer seasonal or short-term rentals.
Woodhaven Lakes had not said when all affected services would return.
