Rapid City officials are investigating city networks and systems following a cybersecurity incident that affected portions of Pennington County’s network over the weekend, resulting in temporary disruptions to several city services.
City IT Director Jim Gilbert said the review is being conducted out of an abundance of caution because the city and county share some infrastructure and collaborate on a limited number of systems.
As a result of the ongoing security review, some city departments are currently unable to process payments, including utility bills, and the processing of building permits has been affected. Finance Officer Daniel Ainslie said utility payments can still be mailed or delivered in person, with receipts provided, but online payment processing remains unavailable until the review is completed.
While city officials have not provided a timeline for completion, Ainslie said he expects the service disruptions to be resolved soon.
Meanwhile, Pennington County offices will reopen today, though some services remain limited. The Treasurer’s Office cannot process vehicle registrations or accept payments, while the Auditor’s Office is unable to process lien payments. The Register of Deeds has resumed issuing birth, death and marriage certificates and accepting real estate recordings.
County officials said the cybersecurity incident remains under investigation and declined to discuss technical details. Critical public safety services, including 911, the Pennington County Jail, emergency response operations and court services, continue to operate normally.
Officials are encouraging residents to check with county departments before visiting offices and to monitor official county communications for updates.
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