City of Pensacola systems knocked out by cyberattack

The City of Pensacola is reporting a potential cybersecurity incident that led to the disruption of its non-emergency phone systems.

The city's spokesperson, Jason Wheeler, disclosed to media what was described as "a potential computer network security incident," which impacted the city's phone systems but spared the police and fire departments. Critical departments including the Port of Pensacola and the Pensacola International Airport continued to operate without any reported issues.

This recent incident mirrors a similar cyberattack the city faced in 2019, identified as a ransomware attack, which notably compromised the city's computer systems and resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of 2 GB of city data online.

Currently, the nature of the systems affected by the latest security incident remains unclear, as does the extent, if any, of data compromise. The city has refrained from commenting on the situation, citing the ongoing investigation.

To mitigate the impact of the phone system outage, alternative contact numbers have been established for several city departments, ensuring continued accessibility for public services.