Cyberattack knocked out email, phones and payments in Pittsburg, Kansas

The city of Pittsburg, Kansas, a community of roughly 20,000 people in the state's southeast corner, disclosed on 18 September 2023 that it had detected a cybersecurity incident affecting its network over the preceding weekend.

City email, telephone systems and online payment services were knocked offline. The city said that 911 dispatch and utility services remained operational and that public safety was not affected.

An incident response team put immediate protective measures in place for city data and network systems, and outside forensic experts were engaged. City Manager Daron Hall said officials recognised the significance of the event and had taken quick action to address it, but cautioned that a full assessment of its extent and implications could take several weeks. He said the city would continue delivering services in the meantime.

As of The Record's report on 19 September 2023, no group had claimed responsibility. The city did not say whether ransomware was involved and did not discuss any ransom demand. It said it was working diligently to remediate the situation and to conduct a thorough investigation with its partners, and would issue updates as information became available.