Bella Vista City Offices Reopen After Cybersecurity Incident

BELLA VISTA, Arkansas – After being closed for a week due to a “cybersecurity incident,” the City of Bella Vista offices will reopen to the public on Tuesday, August 27.

Offices closed early on Monday, August 19, after the city's 24/7 cybersecurity system detected a possible cyberattack on Sunday evening. The system contained the threat until city IT staff could shut down all network systems.

John Moeckel, IT director at Bella Vista, said on August 26 that systems were still being restored.

“We have identified all infected devices and are 100% under control,” he said. “We have not paid any ransom and recovery is progressing.”

Moeckel said there was no evidence of a breach of personal data. The city is insured against cyber threats through the Arkansas Municipal League, which has offered the city assistance with recovery.

Moeckel said Springdale, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Siloam Springs, Benton County and Washington County have sent additional IT staff to assist with the recovery.

While IT staff investigated the cyber incident, offices were closed to the public and city employees worked from home throughout the week. Police and fire department operations were not disrupted because they rely on a different system.

“One notable outcome of such an event was that it did not impact city operations as much as one might expect,” said Mayor John Flynn. “Thanks to the widespread shift to remote work due to the pandemic, we were able to maintain continuity within the city while still serving our citizens.”

The following offices will reopen on Tuesday:

• City hall
• Community Development Services
• Bella Vista District Court
• Bella Vista Public Library
• Bella Vista Street Department

Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:

Stream 5NEWS around the clock on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device

To report a typo or grammatical error, please send an email to [email protected] and specify in detail which story you are referring to.