First responders impacted by City of Wichita cyber attack
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The City of Wichita is staying tight-lipped on details about a cyber attack that led to the shutdown of some of its online systems.
Getting details on the cybersecurity attack, how it happened and what information could be at risk has been a challenge. The City has not had answers to many of KSN’s questions.
What is known is the City is shutting down computer systems to prevent malware spread and that’s leading to adjustments for firefighters and first responders.
When it comes to the cybersecurity breach, the Wichita Fire Department’s Union President, Ted Bush, says firefighters know about as much as the public does.
“Your people are concerned,” Bush said. “Say something to them, even if you say we can’t tell you much because of a security problem. That’s completely understandable.”
According to Bush, with some computer systems down, firefighters have to make some adjustments.
“When dispatch sends the alarm to the station for them to go to the alarm, the lights will come on automatically, and we get the tones that everybody hears,” he said.
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That alarm system isn’t working right now, which means firefighters will have to stay up in shifts, listening carefully to radio dispatch.
“Someone has to have and has to pay attention to the radio 24/7 until this is fixed,” Bush said.
Firefighters are also experiencing issues with email, so a lot of communication is being done by text.
“It’s burdensome, but it’s what we do,” Bush said.
A county official told KSN that the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system for police is also down.
Wichita Police Department’s Union addressed issues they’re facing in a statement:
The Fraternal Order of Police is aware of the cybersecurity incident and have been working closely with Chief Sullivan and his command staff to ensure that our officers have the necessary resources to maintain exceptional service standards. While the incident has caused some more traditional methods to get the mission accomplished, rest assured that the dedicated men and women of the Wichita Police Department are diligently working to uphold our commitment to exceptional customer service and public safety.
I believe it’s not appropriate for the union to discuss the rumors or any specifics and feel we should wait for an official statement from the city manager’s office.”
Jeremy Diaz
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5
The Sedgwick County government also addressed the incident in a separate statement.
Sedgwick County has not had issues in terms of physical communication, but it has impacted our ability to interface technologies and allow for data exchanges with City technology systems. Sedgwick County will continue to evaluate updates from the City of Wichita until it is deemed safe to return to normal technology operation.”
Sedgwick County Government
The City says it is working on getting more details on the cybersecurity incident and will post the latest information on the “alerts” page on the City’s website.
KSN asked a City spokesperson for details on what information may have been compromised and how long systems shutdowns could last, but they declined to provide any additional information.
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