Town of Bernalillo mostly back on line two weeks after cyber attack shut down city systems

The Town of Bernalillo is using ingenuity to keep doing its business as it solves a cyberattack that targeted its administrative network and internet service, Mayor Jack Torres says.

Torres told the Sandoval Signpost most of the town’s systems and services were back up, and that it’s working with state officials in the hopes of getting the local Motor Vehicle Division function back up by the end of the week. He said town employees are on the job, with some employing workarounds to accomplish their duties.

The attack, reported to the Signpost on Oct. 9, immobilized the town’s public-facing computer systems, meaning transactions had to be done in person.

Torres said Bernalillio is working with its partners to get the issue resolved. He said police and fire systems were not affected, other than a brief delay with police body cams. “On the administrative side, there was an impact,” he said. “But in terms of serving the community and responding to calls, we haven’t missed a beat.”

At their Oct. 12 meeting, town councilors approved participation in the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Transportation Project Fund Program. Torres said the state will provide almost $2.9 million for improvements to Industrial Park Road and Camino Del Bosque while the town’s match is $150,000. Also approved was a resolution authorizing the destruction of old records.