CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Stress is mounting for Pennsylvania home improvement contractors as a database used to verify their licenses remains down.
It comes after a cyber incident disrupted the state attorney general’s (AG) office website in August.
The attack knocked out the AG’s office website and communications among members. Later that month, the AG’s office said it was caused by an outsider who was encrypting files and forcing the office to pay to regain access. Officials say no payment was ever made.
Through August and September, officials say services were restored. However, the contractors’ registration verification site is still down.
Four months later, local contractors say the outage is leaving them without work and hurting the home improvement industry.
Tod Reynolds with 1d Remedy says he is down $80,000 in sales compared to the same quarter last year. He believes that’s because of the cyber attack on the AG’s website in August.
And with no cyber recovery in sight, Reynold’s is now calling for accountability.
“It’s like my hands are tied no matter what I do,” he said.
Reynolds said the system outage has disrupted not only the license verification process but also customers’ ability to find him online.
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“I received an email from Google requesting that I update my verification, which includes any licenses, certifications you have to have in order to become Google guaranteed,” he said. “I’ve lost that verification – verified status, or the guaranteed status. So I start slipping in the ranks,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds says he went to the website to renew his expired license, only to find a page directing him to call the home improvement contractor help line.
However, as Reynolds showed CBS 21, an automated voicemail answers the phone. It’s a similar message to what’s on the website.
“I’m not sure what the problem is, but I feel like I would hope that they would take that seriously and say, ‘Hey, let’s get this fixed and resolved not only for the business owners, but also for consumer protection’,” he said.
The website says paper applications are being accepted, but they aren’t being processed until the site is fixed.
The AG’s office wrote a statement in response (full statement below).
Contractors with registrations that expired since Aug. 8 are able to perform home improvement services, but must renew once the system is fully restored.
That means Reynolds can continue his work, but he says it also means unlicensed contractors can potentially manipulate customers.
“It kind of becomes frustrating, but also concerning,” he said. “I want people to know that I am, you know, ethical as a business owner, and I do follow the state regulations.”
The website says that from the day it is fully restored, there will be a 30-day grace period for contractors who are applying for or renewing their licenses.
But only time will tell when that day will come.
‘This kind of signifies to me that the contractor license is not that important to them. Because if it (were), it wouldn’t be down this long,” Reynolds said.
He said most of the business he is getting now is through referrals.
The AG’s office says it is still working to restore the website. There is no timeline as to when the registration website is expected to be restored.
Full statement from the AG’s office here:
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In mid-August, a cyber incident disabled our public platform for consumers to access registration status for home improvement contractors. We have since gained internal access to limited registration information that allows us to share that information with the public. Consumers wishing to obtain registration status for a home improvement contractor, can call our hotline at 717-772-2425 (during business hours) and speak with a live person who will assist to provide the information available. Efforts are ongoing to restore online access to this database. Unfortunately, the part of the home improvement contractor database which allows us to process registrations is still not operational. However, we are accepting paper applications and have issued several hundred temporary registration numbers to contractors. Contractors with registrations that expired since Aug. 8 are able to perform home improvement services, but must renew once the system is fully restored. Registration under HICPA is not an endorsement, recommendation or approval by the Office of Attorney General of the contractor’s competency or skill.
