Facing an unspecified “directed security threat,” Nevada officials have taken down the public-facing website for the state’s online timekeeping and payroll system and urged state employees to change their passwords and security information.
The information, published in a memo by the Nevada Department of Administration on Tuesday, was light on specific details but stated the external website of the Nevada Employee Action and Timekeeping System (NEATS) was being immediately taken offline. The site is used by state employees for timekeeping, training and other human resource requirements.
A spokesperson for Gov. Joe Lombardo said in an email Wednesday evening that state officials were made aware of a possible security breach Tuesday and the Department of Administration worked quickly to secure all systems in accordance with state protocol.
“The Department of Administration proactively alerted all state employees to the situation and required password resets to ensure the security of state systems,” sLombardo spokesperson Elizabeth Ray said.
The memo from the state says NEATS can be accessed through SilverNet, the state’s network, or through a virtual private network that accesses SilverNet.
Lombardo pulled the plug on a long-troubled state IT modernization program called SMART21 in late March, which in part aimed to replace existing human resources and financial management systems.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
