City officials confirm that a cyber attack caused the “mass deactivation” of TheBus and Handi-Van servers

UPDATE 5pm

According to Roger Morton, director of the Department of Transportation Services, the cyberattack on Oahu‘s bus system has “traces” of a ransomware attack, although it is still under investigation.

“We don’t have a specific demand for money … but it has the mark of a ransom note. That is certainly a possibility, ”Morton said at a press conference today.

Law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Secret Service, and the Honolulu Police Department are currently investigating the attack.

Morton said, to the best of his knowledge, no personal information has been compromised by TheBus or TheHandi-Van drivers using the HOLO card.

“The HOLO map information we have is on a city server, not an OTS (Oahu Transit Services) server, and there is no evidence that the city system has been tampered with,” he said.

Officials couldn’t access reservations for TheHandi-Van, but Morton said anyone who called to make reservations today would be accommodated.

Morton was unable to provide a schedule for restoring the affected systems.

For now, DTS is asking TheHandi-Van drivers to call 808-456-5555 to make reservations.

Due to the expected high volume of calls, the department asks those who would like to reserve a trip on Friday before 9 a.m. to call the reservation center by 10 p.m. this evening. DTS requests those who wish to schedule a trip after 9 a.m. for Friday to wait until 5 a.m. to plan their trip.

4:50 pm

The city’s Department of Transportation confirmed this afternoon that Oahu Transit Services suffered a cyber attack this morning that caused a “mass deactivation of online servers” for TheBus and TheHandi-Van systems.

City officials said they are working with the FBI, Secret Service and Honolulu Police Department while these agencies are investigating.

TheBus is still up and running with little to no delay, they said. But for TheHandi-Van drivers who need Friday rides, OTS recommends:

>> To schedule rides before 9:00 a.m., call TheHandi Van Reservations between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. tonight

>> Call for all trips after 9 a.m., Friday from 5 a.m.

Handi-Van’s reservation line is 808-456-5555.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

The Honolulu Department of Transportation is investigating a massive online server shutdown at Oahu Transit Services, the city’s operator of TheBus and TheHandi-Van, due to a possible cyberattack.

The shutdown affected all OTS networks, the city announced today.

While TheBus will continue to operate as scheduled, with little to no delays in service expected, TheHandi-Van officials will not be able to access, view, or print today’s customer reservations, according to the Honolulu Department of Transportation.

TheHandi-Van customers due to be picked up today are urged to call 808-456-5555 to arrange same day pickups, but be aware that there may be a high volume of calls.

In the meantime, the city will be deploying vehicles across Oahu to be dispatched to waiting customers.

TheBus Pass Office in the Kalihi Transit Center was also affected.

Customers cannot purchase HOLO cards or passes today, and city DOT officials subsequently announced the temporary suspension of the HOLO card and HOLO operations.

Online services and call centers for the HOLO card are temporarily unavailable and some retail locations that distribute HOLO cards will not be able to access, distribute, or top up / top up HOLO card accounts, according to DTS.

However, TheBus operators have been instructed to leave passengers on board if they have a HOLO card. Drivers should continue to tap their HOLO cards on the card reader. Cash payments are still accepted.

A spokesman said the city had taken steps to protect the personal and financial information of HOLO Card users and that it appeared not to have been compromised.

“HOLO map information and processes are stored on city servers which, to our knowledge, are not currently affected. The city has taken steps to minimize a possible breach of personal and financial information from the HOLO map servers. In addition, OTS has disabled all connections to external networks, including basic internet connectivity. Our investigations with the involvement of the law enforcement authorities are ongoing; We will provide more information as it becomes available, ”Travis Ota, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation, said in an email this morning.

According to the HOLO card websiteUsers can provide their name and email address to register the card, and can also provide bank or credit card information, depending on how they buy and top up their HOLO card, which is used as a debit card for use on public transport serves.

Officials said they did not have a timeframe for when the OTS networks would be back up, but would provide updates when available.