Cyber Incident Victim: New Britain, Connecticut
Date:
Jan 2026
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A ransomware attack disrupted New Britain's municipal operations, paralyzing phone and computer systems across multiple departments. While emergency services remained functional, many systems stayed offline, including the mayor's office phone lines. Officials are assessing the full extent of the impact on network infrastructure and compromised data, aided by state emergency services, the FBI, and cybersecurity experts. Recovery efforts are ongoing around the clock, with plans to gradually restore systems beginning imminently. The city emphasizes working closely with authorities to secure systems, protect information, and ensure responsible recovery without interrupting critical emergency functions.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 0 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
The ransomware attack on New Britain, Connecticut, commenced early Wednesday, paralyzing phone and computer systems across multiple city departments. This disruption rendered many essential administrative functions inoperable for several days. By Friday, the phone line to the mayor's office was still producing a rapid busy signal, indicating the persistence of significant communication issues. City officials immediately initiated efforts to determine the full extent of the compromised systems and assess the damage caused by the incident. Mayor Bobby Sanchez publicly acknowledged the attack in a statement released on Friday, confirming the widespread system outages.
The scope of the impacted network infrastructure remained unknown as of Friday, and officials were actively working to ascertain how much data had been taken and required recovery. Mayor Sanchez stated that safety operations, including emergency services, were not disrupted by the attack. Recovery efforts involved collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and independent cybersecurity experts. These partners assisted in investigating the cause of the attack and securing the city's systems. Sanchez emphasized the city was taking the incident extremely seriously, prioritizing securing systems, protecting information, and ensuring a full recovery. He anticipated beginning to restore certain systems over the weekend, with continued progress expected in the following week, acknowledging the careful and time-consuming nature of the investigation and restoration process occurring around the clock. Sanchez committed to providing further updates as the investigation continued.