Sault Ste. Marie Tribe perseveres through second week post-ransomware attack

CHIPPEWA COUNTY, Mich,. (WPBN/WGTU) - - The Sault Saint Marie Tribe enters its second week of recovery, after a ransomware attack hit tribal computer systems impacting administration, health centers and shutting down all five Kewadin casinos.

Along with limiting services, the attack has cancelled some events including the winter ceremonies and Valentine’s dance.

In a statement, Chairman Austin Lowes says the tribe is making progress with cyber security experts,

“Right now, we expect the tribe will continue to operate in a limited capacity for up to another week. Regular updates will continue to be made on our Facebook page as restoration efforts progress,” said Chairman Austin Lowes Sault Ste Marie. “We also understand there is a desire for our membership to know the details of what happened and the specifics around what is being done to fix it. Unfortunately, given that this is an ongoing attack, we cannot share further detail at this time.”

With the website down, all phone numbers were posted to the tribe’s Facebook, including dozens of numbers for vital health services.

You can also head to the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians main Facebook page for more information where the tribe updates daily, as needed.