City of Columbia says it was victim of ransomware attack, asks SLED to investigate - South Carolina Public Radio
The City of Columbia announced on October 25, 2026, that it was the victim of a ransomware attack discovered on October 20, which has impacted some public services and involved sensitive city data.
City officials immediately contacted SLED after discovering the incident last week and took impacted services offline as a precaution. The city has also reached out to third-party cybersecurity professionals to help the city respond to the threat.
The City is taking this incident extremely seriously and is working methodically with SLED and cybersecurity specialists to contain the attack, identify affected systems, assess the extent of any information that may have been accessed or compromised, and restore impacted services.
Some platforms and online services remain unavailable, including MyColaSC, Animal Services, Parks and Recreation reservations, and the Geographic Information Systems. The city did not say when the affected services might return online.
Services Remain Operational
Public safety and utility services are still operational. This includes the Columbia Police Department and the fire department, 911 communications, Columbia Water, and online payment options.
Residents can still call 803-545-3300 to report any concerns or ask for help with issues like potholes, downed trees, park equipment problems, broken streetlights, and other local service requests.
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