Wichita ransomware disrupts municipal billing, library and public-facing services

On 05/05/2024, the CITY OF WICHITA took computer systems offline after discovering malware that locked access to files. The network shutdown made multiple public-facing services unavailable or degraded, including online water-bill and other electronic payments, library catalog and circulation functions, public Wi-Fi, telephone functions and airport information displays. Public safety continued through paper-based procedures and water infrastructure itself remained operational. Billing and payment processing remained impaired for weeks, with most public-facing systems reported back in service by 10/06/2024.