Baltimore City officials announced Monday that 65% of public employees have regained access to their computers and emails as officials continue to work to combat the effects of a ransomware attack.
In a news release, the city said officials expect 95% of all public employees to have access to their computers and emails by the end of next week.
The city was hit with a ransomware attack on May 7, halting some city services. The hackers demanded $76,000 in bitcoin to unlock the computers, which Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young refused to pay. The cost of the ransomware attack was estimated around $18.2 million in lost or delayed revenue and direct costs to restore city systems.
The city also provided updates on some of the affected services:
Water Bills
Officials are still unable to produce and mail water bills, the city said.
Customers can call 410-396-5398 to find out the amount of their most recent water bill — which came out in early May. The city does not have information on current bills and is advising customers to set aside money to cover a “typical” bill to avoid sticker shock when bills finally come out, an official said.
Residents can pay at the municipal building at 200 N. Holiday Street provided they bring a copy of any bills or statements that include their account number, the city wrote.
Payments can also be made via check or money order by mailing it to the municipal building. The city is continuing to waive late fees and penalties until the online system is online.
Anyone who experiences issues getting new water meters installed during this period are asked to call 410-396-0170.
Property Taxes
The city wrote that property tax bills will be mailed on schedule and that banks and mortgage holders “will be able to transfer funds to the City to pay the appropriate amount of taxes owed.”
Those looking for additional information can call 410-396-3987 or visit Counter 2 in the municipal building on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Parking Tickets
The city has resolved all issues with parking tickets issued before May 4, 2019.
The city wrote that residents can visit https://data.baltimorecity.gov/Transportation/Parking-Citations/n4ma-fj3m for more information.
Permits
Permits are still being processed and anyone with questions is asked to call the Department of Housing and Community Development at 443-984-1809.
While the city’s E-permits system is operational, it cannot process payments made online.
Payments should be made in person at, or mailed to, the housing department, the city wrote.
Real Property
The city said a backlog of real property transactions has been cleared after official implemented a manual workaround on May 20.
