RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – A cybersecurity incident impacting Pennington County is creating ripple effects beyond county government.
Although there is no indication that Rapid City’s computer systems have been compromised, city officials say they are taking no chances.
The city announced Monday that its information technology staff is conducting a comprehensive review of municipal computer systems because the city and county share portions of their technology infrastructure.
That precaution is temporarily affecting some everyday services residents rely on.
Online utility bill payments are currently unavailable, and processing for building permits has slowed while the investigation continues.
City IT Director Jim Gilbert said the goal is simple: make sure city networks and data remain secure before returning systems to normal operation.
Finance Officer Daniel Ainslie said residents can still pay utility bills by mail or in person at the Finance Office, where staff are issuing receipts manually until online services return.
Officials have not provided a timeline for restoring all services, but they say the investigation is necessary to make sure the city’s systems remain protected.
For now, the inconvenience is viewed as a precaution rather than evidence that Rapid City itself has been affected by the county’s cybersecurity incident.
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