Shoshone-Bannock Tribes releases new information on cybersecurity incident

The following is a press release from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.

FORT HALL — On Aug. 16, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes learned they had been the victim of a possible cybersecurity incident. The tribal IT department and executive office immediately launched an investigation, partnered with the tribe's hired cybersecurity consulting firm and notified the FBI.

Through the initial investigation, which took place over the weekend of August 17-18, the tribes determined that a network security incident had occurred. The public was notified on Monday evening, August 19, through the tribes' Facebook page. On Tuesday, August 20, an all-staff meeting and two tribal member meetings were held to inform them of the events.

“The Tribes take cybersecurity and data security very seriously and are working closely with the FBI and the Homeland Security contractor to determine the source and scope of the incident, assess potential vulnerabilities, and implement additional security measures. We are also gathering recommendations on mitigation, response, and recovery plans,” said Tino Batt, Interim Executive Director.

Tribal government email, network and phone systems are expected to be offline for at least several days and will be brought back online as soon as possible within a secure system. Tribal government offices were closed on Monday, August 19, as well as Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23. Employees were laid off so the cybersecurity team could resolve any issues with their computers or technology devices.

Updates on the current operation of specific services will be available in the near future as investigating and simultaneously rebuilding our network is our top priority. While the Tribes work to resolve this incident, the public will experience delays to systems and services, and we thank the public for their patience and understanding of this inconvenience.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are committed to keeping the public informed of all new developments and potential impacts to public services and our community. All relevant updates will be provided as the investigation progresses. The Tribes will also provide the public with cyber-attack education information and recommendations on the steps to take to protect their personal information.

Impacts to tribal 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-urgent public safety services.

The Tribes website, sbtribes.com, will serve as a central source of information and will be available during this time. Information regarding the incident will be available on the homepage beginning Friday, August 23. The website will provide timely and transparent information regarding this incident. Community members are encouraged to follow the Tribes Facebook page to stay updated.

The Fort Hall Business Council would like to thank the staff and external teams who are supporting the tribes and working diligently on all aspects of this situation and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.