State officials gave a second, public update on Thursday about the ongoing response effort from last weekend’s cyberattack.
During a live press conference, Governor Lombardo announced that while some agencies are starting to come back online, he’s urging the public to call 211 if they need help.
“It’s frustrating. I understand,” Lombardo said adding that the investigation remains ongoing. He also stressed that he’s been in constant contact with agencies since he learned of it. “I am confident in our response.”
Phones are also coming online too – since they are connected to the internet for most departments.
Some services have been also restored at the Nevada DMV, including the website, which you can see below.
Nevada DMV
All DMV offices remain closed until further notice though, including AAA offices, County and City Partnerships (DMV transactions only).
Brick-and-mortar offices are still operational for people needing help with the Department of Health and Human Services and Nevada Health Authority.
Governor Lombardo clarified that the data that was accessed did not contain personal information. If there is, state officials say they’d alert the affected individual and decide what steps to take next.
When asked why the websites aren’t back online yet, he said that they want to make sure they are safe first to again post.
“So, are you (still) under attack?” a reporter asked.
“No.” He also said that they don’t know what the motive was for the “intrusion” and that he doesn’t know what kind of information the hackers wanted to access.
You can also get updates on their recovery website.
State of Nevada
ORIGINAL STORY:
This new briefing comes after a Wednesday afternoon press conference was held in Carson City.
The Governor’s Technology Office, Directors of State Agencies, and federal agency partners presented updates on the coordinated investigation and recovery process. They discussed the current status of state operations and services, and shared additional insights into what is known so far about the nature of the cyberattack.
State offices across Nevada remain closed due to what the Governor’s Office is calling a “network security incident.” The outage has impacted multiple services, including the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Nevada Department of Public Safety, and other agencies.
As of Thursday morning, August 28, the Nevada State Police reported no change in status.
“We are status quo today with the Nevada Department of Public Safety/State Police administrative offices and online services unavailable due to the network issue affecting State agencies,” the department said in a statement.
Phone lines for *NHP and dispatch remain operational. Troopers and officers are on duty and continuing to provide public safety services.
Cybersecurity expert Chuck Flagg, President of Orion Technologies, Inc. in Reno, says better isolation tools could help prevent similar incidents elsewhere.
“If a threat actor does hit a specific computer, there are tools that will isolate that one computer that will not allow it to expand out,” Flagg said.
He added that basic antivirus protection is no longer enough, and stressed the importance of software updates.
“If your servers and your computers are not updated, that is a huge risk that you’re putting yourself at,” Flagg said. “Putting all this stuff into place will dramatically reduce your risk going forward with cybersecurity.”
The DMV says any canceled appointments will be honored as walk-ins for two weeks once systems are restored, and any late fees incurred during the outage will be waived.
In a Facebook update, the DMV also addressed concerns from residents:
“We hear you, and we are here for you during this statewide outage… We are actively coordinating with law enforcement agencies to ensure they are aware of the situation and can provide appropriate consideration during this period.”
Other state agencies continue to adjust operations:
The Nevada Department of Education says its Carson City and Las Vegas offices remain open to assist with educator licenses.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office says it cannot access information about child support cases until the state’s NVKIDS system is restored.
The Nevada Supreme Court reports intermittent system functionality affecting email, phone systems, eFlex, and the public case portal. Users are encouraged to continue trying to file electronically, and alternative methods may be announced if conditions worsen.
The Governor’s Office says the state has prioritized restoring the most critical services and is using temporary routing and operational workarounds where possible. All systems must be validated before returning to normal operation.
No timeline has been given for full restoration, though in-person services could begin later this week. Officials say the FBI is continuing its investigation and that minimizing interference with the process is a top priority.
“The FBI wants to capture all of that data without having a bunch of users coming in and re-infecting or creating a problem for them,” Flagg said.
Despite the disruption, the Governor’s Office confirmed that all state employees will be paid on time. Many returned to the office on Tuesday, and others will follow as systems come back online.
The Governor’s Office also provided updates on how key state services have been affected. Those impacts can be read by clicking on the document below.
