Cleveland City Hall Closed After Ransomware Attack – NBC4 Washington

Cleveland City Hall remained closed to the public on Friday as authorities in Ohio’s second-largest city continued to grapple with the aftermath of a ransomware attack.

Operations in the city have been disrupted throughout the week by the threat, which was first discovered on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for Democratic Mayor Justin Bibb told Cleveland.com on Friday that the ransomware has since been “contained,” but could not say whether the city has agreed to pay the ransom or whether it will consider paying. She also declined to say how much the ransom demanded was, adding that she could not share much with the public due to the ongoing investigation by state and federal authorities.

After shutting down most systems earlier in the week and closing City Hall and a second government location to residents and employees, Bibb attempted to bring employees back in on Wednesday. Numerous problems arose, including difficulties processing building permits and birth and death certificates in two of the city’s busiest departments.

Bibb’s administration said the city has made encouraging progress on its first day back and called Wednesday’s events “expected challenges” while systems are restored. However, he again ordered City Hall closed to the public, and officials said Friday it will remain closed Monday as well. It’s not yet known how long the closure will last, but employees are back at work.

Cleveland authorities referred residents to neighboring cities Parma and Lakewood for some services, and certain online options seemed to work.

Akron had to shut down some city functions after a cyberattack in 2019.