Nevada making strides in cyberattack recovery, Lombardo says
Summary
Nearly three weeks after a ransomware attack that knocked Nevada state systems offline, Governor Joe Lombardo says about 90% of state websites are back online. State officials report no evidence personal information was compromised, though they acknowledge some internal system data was taken out of Nevada. Critical systems still offline include the sex offender registry and the background check database — the latter affecting the state’s ability to process criminal-history checks tied to gun sales. Many services such as DMV functions and the public notice site have been restored. The state has reset employee passwords, tightened password rules, expanded multifactor authentication, and begun restoring remote access with stronger controls.
Key Points
- About 90% of Nevada state websites restored roughly three weeks after the ransomware incident.
- Officials say there is no evidence personal information was compromised; some internal system data was taken out of state.
- Roughly 10% of systems remain down, notably the sex offender registry and the background check database, affecting firearm background checks.
- DMV services and the public notice website are back online; the Access Nevada login may require users to clear their browser cache.
- The public benefits portal remains unavailable, according to the Division of Social Services.
- State security measures include forced password resets for employees, stricter minimum password requirements and expanded multifactor authentication; remote access is being reintroduced with MFA for rural users.
- Officials reported defending roughly 150 million firewall hits in the three days after the first press conference, prompting limited public technical detail for security reasons.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you live in Nevada, work for the state, or rely on services like DMV, benefits or gun background checks — this affects you. The piece gives a quick status update, what’s still down, and what the state is doing to fix it. We’ve done the legwork so you don’t have to dig through press conferences.
Context and Relevance
This story matters because it shows how a state government is responding to a real-world ransomware attack and balancing transparency with operational security. The outage impacts day-to-day public services and law-enforcement tools (background checks, registries), and highlights broader trends: ransomware attacks continuing to target government IT, the importance of multifactor authentication, and quick defensive moves like forced password resets. For residents and organisations in Nevada, the status of these systems has immediate practical consequences; for cybersecurity watchers, it’s another case study in incident response and public communication.
