CAMDEN, NJ – The City of Camden recently thwarted an attempted cyber-attack from foreign threat actors. Fortunately, due to recent system upgrades and improved cyber security protocols, the City was able to prevent what could have been a more significant attack. Thanks to Mayor Carstarphen’s $2 million investment in updating the City’s cyber infrastructure, new capabilities exist to identify potential threats and safeguard City data. While the City’s IT professionals brought the City’s network offline temporarily to ensure the threat actors did not install any malware, the computer network was quickly restored. After significant analysis, there is no evidence that any ransomware was installed, no damage to the computer network was sustained, and no breach of personal identifying information occurred. Although this cyber-attack created a short-term inconvenience for the City and its residents, the City acted appropriately, swiftly, and in the best interest of the public. While cyber intrusions can be unsettling and disruptive, these types of attacks have become commonplace across the globe. The City remains vigilant in this regard and continues to bolster is information technology function.

The City of Camden is undergoing a transformative reinvestment in our technological landscape. With a substantial investment from the State of New Jersey, Camden is already in the process of modernizing and fortifying its IT infrastructure, propelling the City into a new era of efficiency and security. As part of this evolution, our digital presence is also receiving a significant upgrade, symbolized by the migration of our City website from ci.camden.nj.us to the new and easily accessible CamdenNJ.gov domain. This reimagined platform will serve as a beacon of accessibility; empowering residents, businesses, and visitors with seamless connectivity and enhanced user experiences.

The City has successfully completed the replacement of all deprecated, unlicensed, and end-of-life switches, routers, firewalls, and servers across all City locations. All new network equipment is now fully licensed and secure. Additionally, the City has established improved connectivity and redundancy among its facilities to help ensure uninterrupted City operations in the event of an outage. Furthermore, we have built a new Windows domain using current best practices, increased the City’s use of cloud-based technology, installed wireless access points and replaced end-of-life workstations to ensure computers can be updated appropriately for security vulnerabilities.

Because of the Mayor’s investment in IT, the City of Camden is more prepared than ever to efficiently conduct business and respond to cyber threats.

###