(TNS) — The cyberattack that has crippled New Orleans government's computer network for more than two weeks might claim yet another casualty: Unless the systems are restored soon, property owners won't be able to pay their taxes online.
The city normally accepts property tax payments through its website, through the mail or in person at City Hall. But the online functions have been hobbled by a ransomware attack since Dec. 13.
That means property owners who normally use that system should instead pay their bills in person or by mail, City Councilman Joe Giarrusso told residents in a post on social media Monday.
The city has not said if it expects its online systems to return before Jan. 31, the deadline to pay property taxes in New Orleans.
"Due to ongoing system disruptions from the city’s cyber attack, property tax payments CANNOT be made online. You must pay by mail or in person inside City Hall at 1300 Perdido St.," Giarrusso wrote on Twitter.
The issue is not likely to affect property owners who still are paying on a mortgage, as mortgage lenders typically pay residents' taxes through a different process, he said. About half of New Orleans homeowners fall in that category, according to the Data Center and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Giarrusso said his office has recently received an influx of questions about online tax payments.
The city's computers took a gut-punch Dec. 13 after a city employee apparently responded to a "phishing" email and provided login credentials to a hacker. A flood of such emails soon began showing up in the city's computer network.
Officials also detected the presence of ransomware, software that locks up computers and demands payment to allow access. But no d ..
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