Hoboken Responds To Cyberattack By Opening Call Line For Residents

HOBOKEN, NJ — After the city of Hoboken's digital operations were hacked the day before Thanksgiving, the city has opened a call center for people with "questions or concerns" about the incident.

"The call center will offer credit monitoring and identity protection services," said the city in a message Sunday.

News outlets from the Daily News to NJ.com have said that the hackers stole thousands of Social Security Numbers and other information from City Hall, but the city has not confirmed that this is the case.

On Sunday, they sent a message saying a "call center" has been opened.

"A dedicated phone line has been established for residents, employees, or any other individuals with questions or concerns regarding the recent cybersecurity incident targeting the city of Hoboken," the message said. "The number is 1-833-799-4365 and it will operate Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"Since the City of Hoboken was the victim of a ransomware incident on November 27, 2024, it has been working with cybersecurity specialists and federal law enforcement to determine the source, scope, and nature of the incident. The investigation is ongoing and if the investigation determines any personal information was potentially compromised, the city will make every effort to notify potentially impacted individuals."

Did Russian 'Ransomware Gang' Take credit?

Last week, a cybersecurity news website reported that a "ransomware gang" called 3AM has taken responsibility for the attack. READ MORE: City Of Hoboken Hacked With Ransomware

The website for Recorded Future , a cybersecurity firm, quoted their ransomware expert as saying that "the gang is likely tied to the Conti family of ransomware gangs. Conti was one of the most prominent cybercriminal operations but shuttered after drawing global infamy for the near total shutdown of the Costa Rican government in 2022."

Recorded Future pointed to this Tweet from Wednesday:

According to the FBI, ransomware is a type of software that prevents entities from accessing computer files, demanding a ransom for their return. "Ransomware attacks can cause costly disruptions to operations and the loss of critical information and data," the FBI notes.

In the Recorded Future report, Liska said, "They have hit some big targets like Brunswick Hospital Center. In the last year and three months it has listed about 50 victims on its extortion site.”

City Update

Hoboken gave new updates on the attack on Wednesday and Thursday.

They said Wednesday that some digital city services had returned.

The city said in a message, "The city of Hoboken continues to make progress recovering from last week’s cyber attack. The city is actively working with the Hoboken Police Department, federal law enforcement agencies, and IT specialists to thoroughly investigate the cause and extent of the incident."

They said that the Hoboken Parking Utility service window has resumed accepting credit card payments, and most city staff and departments can now be contacted via email. Response times may be delayed.

For now, the Office of Vital Statistics and Licensing can be reached by phone only at (201) 420-2040.

The city thanked the community for understanding "as we navigate this evolving situation and asks for continued patience as we work to restore all systems. Additional updates will be shared as they become available."

On Thursday, the city advised residents to monitor their personal data. "As always and due to an abundance of caution, individuals are encouraged to monitor and protect themselves from any unusual activity on any personal accounts," the city said.

Here are phone numbers for city departments, for future reference.

• To contact the City Clerk’s Office, please call (201) 420-2000 ext. 2000
• To contact the Office of Constituent Services, please call (201) 420-2000 ex.1311
• To contact the Hoboken Parking Utility, please call (201) 653-1919 x8001
• To contact the Division of Housing, please call (201) 420-2000 x 5203
• To contact the Division of Health, please call (201) 420-2375
• To contact the Division of Sanitation, please call (201) 420-2000 x4000
• To contact the Division of Engineering or Water Utility, please call (201) 420-2000 x8028
• To contact the Zoning Office, please call (201) 420-2000 x 3100
• To contact the Division of Recreation, please call (201) 420-2000 Ext. 5002
• To contact the Office of Senior Services, please call (201) 420-2054
• For other City departments, visit the city's website at hobokennj.gov for phone numbers or call the general city information line at (201) 420-2000.