In Tuesday’s council meeting, Councilman Paul Lolli thanked City Manager Ashley Combs, her staff and the IT department for working “tremendously long hours” to get systems back online.
“Billion-dollar companies get cyberattacked, you know,” he said. “We didn’t get cyberattacked because we were Middletown, we got cyberattacked because there was something vulnerable...they’ll figure it out. We’ll fix it, and we’ll come back better.”
Vice Mayor Steve West thanked Combs and IT staff for their work, though he said he still does not have access to his email.
Council voted in Tuesday’s meeting to spend $295,610 on network hardware and consultation services following last month’s cybersecurity hack.
Clayton Castle, communications manager for the city, said these changes were already planned for early 2026, but moved up due to the incident.
The city entered into a $151,010 contract with SecureCyber to purchase network hardware and consultation services due to incompatibilities found while installing and migrating the city’s new virtual environment, according to a city staff report.
Also, 200 Dell desktop computers will be purchased from Insight Public Sector, Inc. for $144,600.
As Middletown reimaged desktop computers, many could not be upgraded to Windows 11, according to the staff report. Windows 10 is reaching “end-of-life” and had to be retired from service.
“This project was slated for the beginning of 2026, but due to recent events, now is the time to move forward with this project,” the staff report read.
Funds for both contracts will come from the city’s general fund.
What was accessed?
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing with the assistance of third-party specialists, and it is not yet known what personal information, if any, may have been affected.
Clarification on whether this was resident or employee information was not given, though on Aug. 22, preliminary findings were released, stating some “city employee information may have been affected.”
The city did not give clarification on what type of employee data may have been accessed, and a statement Wednesday said the city has “seen no evidence to date of any data being used for fraudulent purposes.”
Based on the results of the investigation, appropriate actions will be taken to notify and support any affected individuals.
How can citizens pay bills, access services and contact city staff?
Utilities: New utility bills are not being generated as of the date of the cybersecurity incident, which was on or about Aug. 17, according to Castle.
Once the city is fully back online, utility billing and finance will begin to process new bills.
There is a planned grace period for payment of bills issued after systems are restored, and the length of this grace period will be determined once systems are restored, according to a city statement Wednesday.
In-person payments for bills issued before services were down can be made online through InvoiceCloud or in person at the city building, but payments can only be made by credit card subject to credit card fees.
Utilities will not be shut off due to nonpayment during this time period.
Also, utility account information cannot be accessed and new utility accounts cannot be opened.
Income tax: The income tax office is also now open and accepting payments, though account information cannot be accessed.
Middletown Municipal Court is running on its normal schedule, and anyone with a pending court case should report as scheduled. In-person services for court administration; criminal and traffic ticket payment; and clerk of courts and warrants are open.
Records: Requests for public and police records cannot be fulfilled online at this time. Background checks have also paused.
Health Department: All services have resumed at the Middletown Health Department, including birth and death certificates and inspections.
It is open to the public for in-person services 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the city building.
Numbers to call: Citizens needing to contact certain services can call established secondary phone lines:
Middletown Police (non-emergency): 513-425-7701. Those experiencing a criminal or medical emergency should call 911.
Middletown Health Department: 877-774-4636
Code enforcement: 513-635-2331
Building inspection/zoning: 513-760-8455
Middletown Regional Airport: 513-236-3238
The Event Center of Middletown: 513-567-0788
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