FROM: The Office of the Governor, Governor's Technology Office

DATE: August 26, 2025

RE: Update on August 24 Network Security Incident

What happened?

• On early Sunday morning, the State of Nevada identified a network security incident and
immediately engaged in 24/7 recovery efforts.
• The State was targeted in a cyber attack, and the incident is under active state and federal investigation. To protect internal systems during an active criminal investigation, the State is  unable to provide technical details at this point (NRS 242.105). 
• At this time, there is no evidence that any personally identifiable information (PII) was compromised. The State will share verified information when appropriate.
• As the State continues its recovery efforts, the network security incident continues to impact the availability of certain state technology systems on the state network. Some state websites or phone lines may be slow or briefly unavailable during recovery.
• The State is focused on restoring services safely and validating systems before returning them to normal operation.

How is the State responding?

• The Office of the Governor and Governor's Technology Office (GTO) are working continuously with state, local, and federal partners to restore services safely.
• The State has identified the most critical services for constituents and has prioritized those in the restoration process.
• GTO is using temporary routing and operational workarounds to maintain public access where feasible. GTO is validating systems before returning them to normal operation and sharing updates as needed.

How does this network issue impact Nevadans?

• The State closed offices on Monday and Tuesday, but State offices will begin to offer in-person services later this week. Agencies will announce when counters reopen and any alternative options.
• State websites and phone lines may be intermittently unavailable. If a site or line does not respond, please try again later.
• Emergency call-taking and essential services remain available statewide. In case of an emergency, call 911. For non-emergency questions, check the relevant agency's website or reach out via email.

How does this issue impact State of Nevada employees?

• This incident did not impact State payroll, and all State employees will be paid on time through the normal process.
• State employees were placed on paid administrative leave on Monday. Many state employees returned to the office for work on Tuesday. State employees will continue to return to the office as systems come back online.

Does this affect Nevadans' home internet or mobile phone service?

• No. This incident involves state government systems only.

How can Nevadans avoid scams during this time?

• Be cautious of unsolicited calls, emails, or texts asking for personal information or payments. The State will not ask for your password or bank details by phone or email. As official state websites return online, verify information.

Update on Key State Services

• Department of Agriculture:
o Brand inspections, crop inspections, and animal disease labs remain operational using temporary paper and hotspot systems. Entry permits are being issued manually and will be retroactively entered once systems are restored. Measurement standards inspections continue without disruption. Pesticide applicator licensing remains on hold due to system outage.

• Cannabis Compliance Board:
o The software supporting cannabis industry regulation was not impacted, preserving public health and safety measures in place. While the CCB cannot currently accept payments, no penalties will be incurred. Temporary Agent Cards continue to be issued, allowing Nevadans to enter or maintain work within the State's cannabis industry. Staff is currently developing a process to accept walk-in payments for new agent card applicants.

• Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:
o DCNR offices are currently open and serving customers as able. Some online functions, such as the State Parks reservation system, are not on state servers, and remain operational. DCNR has established a temporary main line and posted it to their website and socials: 775-495-2451.

• Department of Corrections:
o NDOC maintains its top priority of ensuring safe and secure facilities for staff and offenders. The offender telephone system was uninterrupted by the network outage, so offender communications have continued consistently with NDOC protocol.

• Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR):
o The NUI system is operating successfully. Claimants can log in, file new claims, and check on existing claims. DETR staff are available to assist in-person at Employ NV Hubs.

• Department of Education:
o The Nevada Department of Education has staff available at both its Carson City and Las
Vegas offices to process teacher licenses in person. The office addresses are:
■ 700 E. Fifth St. Carson City, NV 89701
■ 2080 E. Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89119

• Governor's Office of Emergency Management/ Homeland Security
o The Governor's Office of Emergency Management/ Homeland Security (NV OEM) maintains offices in Carson City, Elko, and Las Vegas. The agency supports state, local, and tribal partners before, during, and after emergencies or disasters, coordinating response efforts and assisting with recovery operations. The 24-hour emergency duty officer line remains operational at 775-687-0498. Please note, however, that certain services, including WebEOC, the NV OEM website, and internet support, are currently unavailable.

• Division of Minerals:
o The Division of Minerals continues to receive permit applications and conduct workshops. Applications remain under cursory review, but final approvals will be delayed until database access is restored.

• Department of Motor Vehicles:
o The Nevada DMV website is operational, in addition to all social media channels. At this time, all in-person and online transactions are temporarily unavailable, except Rapid Registration and Turbo Titles, which are still available. All canceled appointments during the statewide network outage will be honored as walk-ins for a two-week period following the DMV's reopening. Any fees incurred during the statewide network outage will be waived. Additionally, the DMV is reaching out to customers as eligible transactions come online.

• Department of Native American Affairs:
o The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum were closed on Tuesday, August 26 due to a water leak unrelated to the cyber outage, but will reopen as usual on Wednesday, August 27.

• Nevada Health Authority:
o At this time, Nevada Health Authority has limited essential operations at district offices for care coordination efforts. Nevada Health Authority can confirm that existing Medicaid coverage and provider payments remain fully operational. For existing Medicaid recipients, this outage does not impact your ability to access covered medical care. You may attend all scheduled appointments as usual. For healthcare providers, claims and payments for services rendered to Medicaid recipients are being processed without delay. Should Medicaid recipients or providers need immediate care coordination needs, please visit a district office to receive assistance.

• Office of New Americans:
o ONA staff have been responding to incoming requests and inquiries via email. There are currently no disruptions to ONA services.

• Department of Public Safety:
o Nevada Highway Patrol and dispatch phone lines remain operational. Troopers and officers are on duty and will continue to provide public safety services.

• Department of Taxation:
o The Department of Taxation's offices in Carson City, Las Vegas, and Reno will be open to the public on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Taxpayers are welcome to visit any of these locations for in-person services. Staff will be available at the counters to provide assistance with tax-related inquiries and transactions. Additionally, the Department's Call Center will be fully operational and ready to support taxpayers by phone throughout the day. Taxpayers are encouraged to use My Nevada Tax and the Nevada Tax Center for filing and submitting payments online.

• Tourism & Cultural Affairs:
o State museums remain temporarily closed but will reopen once an operational workaround is secured.

• Department of Human Services:
o Existing benefit recipients can call or visit a DSS office starting tomorrow for limited assistance with their individual cases. Please note that no new enrollments for public assistance programs can be completed at this time due to the unavailability of eligibility and case management systems, however, applications can be accepted and benefits to new enrollees will be processed on a first come first serve basis when systems are operational.

• Department of Veterans Services:
o For constituent-facing services, operations are routine at NDVS. Specifically, the operations at the Nevada State Veterans Homes (North and South) as well as the State Veterans Cemeteries (North and South) are operational and routine. The Veterans Service Officers statewide are filing claims and seeing clients, while the Veterans Outreach Team continues its routine work.

• Department of Wildlife:
o Game wardens, biologists, and hunting division staff remain in the field. Regional offices continue facilitating first-come, first-serve hunting tags manually to ensure customer service despite system outages. The public can still reach regional offices by phone for assistance.