Nevada still struggling to recover from massive cyberattack

Nevada services continue to be disrupted more than a week after a massive cyberattack was discovered.

Websites and services in the state of Nevada remained down nine days after officials learned it was the target of a sophisticated ransomware attack.

On Monday, some state websites were still down, though a temporary website was created to inform Nevadans of recovery updates.

The Governor’s Technology Office is continuing to work on resolving the attack, and restoration efforts continued through the long weekend.

DMV offices are closed for Labor Day and will remain closed until further notice due to the cyberattack, according to the DMV’s website. Other closures are expected to continue into Tuesday.

Phone lines for the Nevada State Police Highway Patrol and dispatch remain operational, according to a Monday statement from the Nevada State Police. Troopers and officers continue to provide public safety services.

Other services that continue to work include emergency services like 911. State payrolls have been processed, and K-12 and charter school payments have been submitted. Unemployment online claims and call centers are operating, and health programs such as Medicaid and Nevada Public Employees’ Benefits Program are being processed.

Officials learned data was stolen as a result of the cyberattack, but they are still analyzing what kind of data was taken. If personal data was taken, the state will promptly notify the Nevada residents impacted while ensuring the state does not hinder law enforcement efforts, state officials posted on the temporary website.

The state will contact those impacted through mail or electronic notice, according to the state. If notifying directly doesn’t work, the state may post a notice on a website or through the media. Officials may also make other notifications, such as reporting to consumer reporting agencies for large-scale incidents or HIPAA breach-notification rules for protected health information.

Nevada is required to notify impacted residents only if specific kinds of personal data were breached, in accordance with Nevada law. That data includes an individual’s first name, combined with their Social Security number, driver’s license number, credit card information, health insurance ID number, or username or email addresses with its password. That information also must also not be encrypted in order for it to count as personally identifiable information that requires notification.

State officials urge Nevadans to stay safe from scams. People should be cautious of unsolicited calls, texts and emails asking for personal information and verify any unexpected requests. The state will never ask for someone’s passwords or bank details by phone or email, according to Nevada’s temporary website.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.