City of Columbus Addressing Cybersecurity Incident

Q: What happened?

A: On July 18, 2024, the city's Department of Technology discovered evidence of an abnormality in its system, one that was unrelated to the global IT outage. The city took swift action to significantly limit potential exposure, including severing internet connectivity, to reduce the threat to the city's systems.

This proactive protective action has resulted in outages to some resident-facing IT services, which may take time to restore. However, the city's 9-1-1 and 311 systems, as well as employee payroll, remain operational.

Q: What caused this issue?

A: An investigation into the exact cause is ongoing, but it is believed that a City of Columbus employee clicked a malicious link sent via email.

Q: Was any personal identifiable information accessed during this incident?

A: The city is still investigating the information accessed. If individuals are impacted, they will receive individual notification.

Q: What is the City of Columbus doing in response to the event?

A: The City of Columbus is currently in the eradication and recovery phase of restoring its systems.

The city has engaged law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to eradicate the threat, comply with applicable laws and limit further risk. If individuals are impacted, they will receive notification.

Q: Can I speak with a representative of the City of Columbus directly about what happened?

A: If individuals are impacted, they will receive notification. Residents can always call 3-1-1 for information.