MIDDLETOWN — The city of Middletown has been hit by a cybersecurity incident that has disrupted several city services. One new resident says they went through something similar not too long ago where they used to live, and hopes it’s not following her.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, the incident occurred over the weekend and has led to the closure of in-person services at the Middletown City Building until further notice. Affected services include police/public records, utility billing, income tax, and the health department.
News Center 7 spoke to Janet Reese, a Middletown resident, on Tuesday. She expressed frustration after being unable to transfer water service due to the cyberattack.
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“Actually came yesterday, nobody was here. There were signs on the window saying no service. We don’t know when it will be available,” Reese said. “Came back again today, and they said that can’t be done because of a cyberattack.”
Reese recently moved to Middletown from Huber Heights. She told News Center 7 that this was not her first experience with a city suffering a cyberattack.
As News Center 7 previously reported, Huber Heights experienced a ransomware attack in late 2023 that impacted over 5,700 residents. Reese lived in Huber Heights during that time.
She shared her concern about the recurring nature of such incidents, having experienced a similar situation in her previous city.
“I hope it’s not following me,” she said.
Another resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, reported being unable to pay his water bill despite multiple attempts to do so at the city building.
News Center 7’s John Bedell attempted to get more information from the city regarding whether personal information was compromised in the attack, but the city has not yet responded to these inquiries.
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