As of Wednesday afternoon, Macon-Bibb County has restored landline phone and email services, but the network remains offline.
Tucker Sargent,
UPDATE (5/17/24): As of Friday afternoon, IT has restored about 90% of department web pages, meaning the public again has access to information about services, and they are able to rent parks and pavilions through the Parks & Beautification and Recreation Departments. It also means – combined with email working again a few days prior – that people can again request services using SeeClickFix.
Landline phones and emails for the entire government were restored by Wednesday, May 15. There is no timeline when the different components will be back up. The Tax Commissioner’s Office regained the ability to transfer vehicle titles and renew tags on Thursday, May 16. They cannot, yet, accept property tax or solid waste fee payments, either online or in person.
The Procurement Department has postponed the opening date or the posting of question responses for active solicitations until a later date. Those dates will be known once connectivity has been restored, and those solicitations include:
- Traffic Signal Repairs and Maintenance (Opening Date)
- Landfill Wastewater Pump System (Opening Date)
- Rosa Parks Square Renovation (Opening Date)
- Hollingsworth Drive Sidewalk Improvements (Opening Date)
- Lease of Land for Agricultural Use (Opening Date)
- Hollingsworth Drive Sidewalk Improvements (Question Responses)
- HVAC Maintenance (Question Responses)
- Security Services for Macon-Bibb County (Question Responses)
Currently, no other service that uses the Macon-Bibb website is available. That includes (but is not limited to) online payments in the court system and property tax and garbage bill payments with the Tax Commissioner’s Office.The courts can take money orders in person, but they ask that you call ahead to find out the total and have the money order be for the exact amount.
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Macon-Bibb County has been in contact with state and federal security officials since Saturday for guidance and assistance.
UPDATE (5/15/24): As of Wednesday afternoon, Macon-Bibb County has restored landline phone and email services, but the network remains offline.
The county says the IT Department is steadily working to restore internet and web access to more public-facing sites and services.
“This is a steady and gradual process as we make sure every step we take is reviewed carefully to ensure we have confidence in our connections, and I’m proud of how analytical and thorough our team is being with their solutions,” County Manager Dr. Keith Moffett said. “We want to continue asking for the public’s patience as we continue to restore the affected services and access.”
The Procurement Department has rescheduled the opening dates and the posting of question responses for several active solicitations. Those dates will be known once connectivity has been restored. Those solicitations include:
- Traffic Signal Repairs and Maintenance (Opening Date)
- Landfill Wastewater Pump System (Opening Date)
- Rosa Parks Square Renovation (Opening Date)
- Hollingsworth Drive Sidewalk Improvements (Opening Date)
- Lease of Land for Agricultural Use (Opening Date)
- Hollingsworth Drive Sidewalk Improvements (Question Responses)
- HVAC Maintenace (Question Responses)
- Security Services for Macon-Bibb County (Question Responses)
Services dependent on the Macon-Bibb County website, such as online court payments, park reservations and vehicle tag and title registration, remain unavailable. The Tax Commissioner’s Office also cannot process property tax and garbage bill payments online. The courts are accepting money orders in person, but residents are advised to call ahead to confirm the total amount and bring an exact amount. For service requests via SeeClickFix since Friday, residents should call the department directly or contact Customer Service at (478) 751-7400.
Macon-Bibb County has been in contact with state and federal security officials since Saturday for guidance and assistance.
ORIGINAL STORY (5/14/24):
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb County says phone services have been restored to county offices, but email, internet and other network services remain offline following an apparent security breach that happened Saturday morning.
According to a county news release, “unusual activity on its servers, indicating a security breach,” resulted in the immediate shutdown of the network to prevent further access.
The county has not provided a timeline for full system restoration.
“We are being very strategic and slow in getting the system back up, but our teams have been working night and day on this issue,” County Manager Dr. Keith Moffett said. “We are not unique in this attack, so we have a roadmap that is helping guide our work and help ensure we are protecting our system.”
All services that depend on the Macon-Bibb County website, including online court payments, park reservations and vehicle tag and title registration, are currently unavailable. Additionally, property tax and garbage bill payments through the Tax Commissioner’s Office are affected.
The courts are accepting money orders in person, but you should call ahead to confirm the total amount and bring an exact amount. If you have tried to file a service request via SeeClickFix since Friday, you should call the department directly or contact Customer Service at (478) 751-7400 to request the service.
“We’re asking for people’s patience as they visit offices and try to access services,” Dr. Moffett said. “Our team members are doing what they can to meet our community’s needs, but there are some things that are not possible until we restore the internet and network.”
Macon-Bibb County says it has been in contact with state and federal security officials since Saturday for guidance and assistance.
Categories: Bibb County, Featured, Local News
Tags: Macon-Bibb County, security breach
