Ten days after its website was infiltrated by a ransomware attack, the Steamship Authority has announced that its website is back up and running, and available to customers for online reservations.
“Customers can also call our Mashpee Reservation Office at 508-477-8600 to book travel, or do so in person at one of our five terminals,” the email from SSA spokesman Sean Driscoll states. “All restrictions on the time frame in which customers can book reservations are now lifted, meaning customers can book for any point through Oct. 18, 2021, which is the end of the late summer schedule. Reservation confirmation emails may be intermittent.”
The email provides no new information into the investigation, or how the SSA has been able to restore its website.
“The Steamship Authority is continuing to work with our team internally, as well as with local, state, and federal officials externally, to address the June 2, 2021, ransomware incident,” Driscoll wrote. “Our investigation into this incident is ongoing, and with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity and forensic investigators, we are working to determine the full nature and scope of the event. We will continue to provide updates as appropriate.”
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey told reporters during a visit to Woods Hole that the incident was the work of Russians, but his staff later walked back those comments, saying the senator had not been briefed on the ransomware attack.
The SSA has provided scant details since the attack was first announced on June 2.
In Saturday’s release, Driscoll said the ferry line’s reservation office is open from 7 am to 6 pm through Sunday to assist customers.
“All reservations that were made prior to the June 2, 2021, ransomware incident are being honored. Customers who had booked prior to that date do not need to rebook their reservations,” the release states. “Additionally, waitlist requests for travel from July 1, 2021, are now being processed. Waitlist requests for travel before July 1, 2021, will be processed in the near future. All waitlist requests remain intact, and customers do not need to recreate them, and if their request is honored they will be notified by email or text.”
And while the SSA had been urging customers to bring cash to pay for tickets, that’s no longer necessary. “Credit card access is now available at terminals and parking lots,” Driscoll wrote.
Reservations for the fall have been delayed for two weeks, according to the release. That’s for the time period between Oct. 19 and Jan. 4.
“Thank you to our customers for their patience as we have worked to restore access to our reservations systems, and a special thank you to our employees for all of their hard work,” Driscoll wrote.
