Shoshone-Bannock Tribes issues new information on cybersecurity incident
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The following is a news release from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
FORT HALL — On Aug. 16, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes learned that it was subject to a potential cybersecurity incident. The Tribes’ Information Technology Department and Executive Office immediately initiated an investigation, engaged with the Tribes’ contracted cybersecurity consultant firm, and notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Through the initial investigation that occurred over the weekend of Aug. 17-18, the Tribes determined a network security incident had occurred. The public was notified through the Tribes’ Facebook page on the evening of Monday, Aug. 19. An all-employee meeting and two meetings for the tribal membership were held on Tuesday, August 20th to inform them of what had occurred.
“The Tribes takes cybersecurity and data security very seriously and are working diligently with the FBI and Homeland Security contractor to identify the source and scope of the incident, assess potential vulnerabilities, and implement additional security measures, as well as gather recommendations on mitigation, response and recovery plans,” stated Tino Batt, Interim Executive Director.
Tribal Government email, network, and phone systems are anticipated to be offline for a minimum of several days and back online as soon as possible within a secure system. Tribal Government offices were closed on Monday, August 19th and again on Thursday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 23 dismissing staff members in order to allow the Cybersecurity team to resolve issues on their computers or technology equipment.
Updates regarding the current operations for specific services will be available in the near future, as the immediate priority is the investigation, and at the same time rebuilding our network. As the Tribes work to resolve this incident, the public will experience delays with systems and services, and we appreciate the public’s patience and understanding of these inconveniences.
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are committed to keeping the public informed of any new developments and potential impacts to public services and to our community. Any pertinent updates will be provided as the investigation continues. The Tribes will also be sharing educational information to the public regarding cyber attacks and recommendations on steps to be taken to protect their personal information.
The impact to the Tribes’ public safety systems such as Police and Fire are being assessed and prioritized. The public should continue to dial 9-1-1 for emergencies or (208) 238-4000 for non-emergency public safety services.
The Tribes’ website sbtribes.com will serve as a central information hub and is available during this time. Incident information will be available on the homepage starting Friday, Aug. 23. The webpage will provide timely and transparent information regarding this incident. Members of the community are encouraged to follow the Tribes Facebook page for updates.
The Fort Hall Business Council would like to thank the employees and external teams assisting the Tribes who are working diligently on all aspects of this situation and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this challenging time.