State Offices and Services Disrupted Due to Nevada's Network Security Breach
In a series of recent cyber incidents, both the State of Nevada and the City of St. Paul, Minnesota, have found themselves in the midst of network security issues.
The US federal court case filing system was breached by threat actors in August, and the State of Nevada is currently experiencing a network security incident. The official website of the Nevada Governor's Office is currently offline, and government offices and digital services in Nevada have been closed. State offices are not offering in-person services, and state websites and phone lines may be intermittently unavailable.
The Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) announced enhanced security measures as a result of the federal court case breach. In Nevada, emergency call-taking and essential services remain available statewide, and residents have been advised to be cautious of unsolicited calls, emails, or texts requesting personal information or payments.
The Interlock ransomware gang has reportedly stolen and published data from Council systems in St. Paul, including employee personal details. The security incident in the City of St. Paul is still ongoing. The City, however, has refused the attackers' payment demands.
Ade Clewlow, associate director and senior advisor at NCC Group, observed a 23% rise in ransomware attacks targeting government bodies between 2023 and 2024. This trend continued into H1 2025, with Comparitech recording a 60% year-over-year rise in such attacks.
Clewlow noted that the potential of such attacks to paralyze critical services demonstrates the importance of building resilience in government networks. Strong defenses play a role, but rapid recovery, robust contingency planning, and clear communication are what truly safeguard communities when the worst happens, according to Clewlow.
Recovery efforts are being made 24/7 to resolve the incident in Nevada. Agencies will announce when their counters will reopen. The precise responsible party or hacker group for the Nevada network security incident is currently unknown; the incident was confirmed by the Office of the Governor of Nevada on August 25, and a criminal investigation has been initiated by the Governor, Joe Lombardo.
