Maryland Confirms Cyber Attack Disrupting State's Transportation Infrastructure

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is currently dealing with a cyber incident that occurred on August 24, 2023. This incident has caused disruptions in some of the MTA's services, according to official statements.

In response to the cyber incident, the MTA has advised customers with urgent medical needs to contact their healthcare providers or appropriate emergency services. The MTA's real-time updates and call center support are still experiencing disruptions due to the incident.

Despite these challenges, most core transit services, including Local Bus, Metro Subway, Light Rail, MARC, Mobility, Call-A-Ride, and Commuter Bus, are running as scheduled. However, Mobility Paratransit Services have temporary disruptions, with new trip bookings and rescheduling of existing trips unavailable.

To help eligible riders, the MTA has advised customers to consider using the Call-A-Ride program, which is still operational, despite temporary disruptions in other MTA services. It's important to note that all previously scheduled Mobility trips for this week will still be honored, according to the MTA's social media posts.

The MTA is collaborating with the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), third-party cybersecurity experts, and law enforcement partners to investigate and remediate the cyber incident. The identified third-party cybersecurity experts collaborating on the Maryland Transit Administration's Cyber Incident are Mandiant and CrowdStrike.

The cyber incident was caused by unauthorized access to specific MTA systems. To ensure safety, Baltimore Metro Subway elevators remain out of service due to unavailable elevator emergency phones.

In addition, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) has activated the Statewide Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). The SEOC includes the MDEM, the MTA, the DoIT, and other appropriate state agencies.

The MTA encourages customers to stay informed by regularly checking their social media platforms for updates. The MTA's top priority is the safety and well-being of its customers and employees, and they are working diligently to resolve this incident as quickly as possible.