Users of some transport services in the US state of Maryland may experience disruptions as the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) deals with a cyber incident.
The MTA said in an August 24 statement that the incident came from unauthorized access to specific systems.
Most core transit services, including Local Bus, Metro Subway, Light Rail, MARC, Mobility, Call-A-Ride and Commuter Bus, are currently running as scheduled.
The MTA also confirmed on social media that all previously scheduled Mobility trips for this week will be honored.
However, some services are experiencing disruptions, including:
- Mobility Paratransit Services, for which new trip bookings and rescheduling of existing trips are temporarily unavailable
- MTA real-time updates and call center support
- Baltimore Metro Subway elevators, which have been put out of service because elevator emergency phones are unavailable
Meanwhile, the MTA is investigating the issue and working towards remediation in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement partners.
The MTA advised eligible riders to consider using the Call-A-Ride program. Customers with urgent medical needs are advised to contact their healthcare providers or appropriate emergency services.
Finally, the MTA said that the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) has activated the Statewide Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), a central facility responsible for coordinating a state’s response to emergencies.
Maryland’s SEOC includes the MDEM, the MTA, the DoIT and other appropriate state agencies.
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