Thomasville Officials Address June Cyberattack, Say City Is Rebuilding within 45 day
City leaders have publicly addressed a cyberattack that struck Thomasville’s computer systems last month, disrupting operations across multiple departments and forcing staff into a full-scale technology recovery effort.
In an open letter dated July 24, Mayor Raleigh York Jr. confirmed that on June 9, cyber-criminals infiltrated the city’s network, “removing and corrupting a significant amount of data” in the process. The breach has had ripple effects across city functions, with utility billing and online services especially impacted.
Officials called the incident a criminal cyberattack and said the city is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to determine who was behind it, what data may have been ransomed on the “dark web,” and how to prevent similar attacks in the future.
The city’s internal MIS staff has been joined by private sector IT partners and a specialized NC Cybersecurity Strike Team, which includes local, state, and federal staff trained to handle these types of events.
What the attack revealed, perhaps more than anything, was the city’s vulnerability. Thomasville’s network is more than 30 years old, and the letter acknowledged what many in tech already know: when it comes to old systems, “it becomes more troublesome to repair than it is to replace.”
The disruption was deeply felt by residents. For a time, utility bills couldn’t be processed at all. While the city was eventually able to mail out bills again, officials warned they may “look very different than the previous design.” Autopay functions tied to the bank draft system are still offline.
Fortunately, critical control systems were not affected. City Manager Michael Brandt noted that prior to the incident, efforts were already underway to migrate key systems—like finance—to more secure, cloud-based platforms. That move helped insulate some services from the worst of the damage.
New hardware and software have since been purchased, and a phased rebuild of the city’s digital infrastructure is underway. Full recovery, including the return of bank drafts and normal billing operations, is expected within 45 days.
The city says it's not only rebuilding, but also learning—one firewall at a time.
Residents can follow updates at www.Thomasville-NC.gov or contact city offices for assistance.
