Massachusetts Ferry Service Slowed By Ransomware Attack

Ferry service between mainland Massachusetts and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket was slowed Wednesday morning by a ransomware cyberattack, officials said.

“The Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority has been the target of a ransomware attack that is affecting operations as of Wednesday morning. As a result, customers traveling with us today may experience delays," the Steamship Authority said on its official Twitter account.

Customers were unable to book or change vehicle reservations online or by phone, the authority said.

Cash transactions were preferred because the availability of credit card systems to process tickets and parking fees was limited.

Federal, state and local authorities are helping to determine “the extent and origin of the attack," the agency said. There was no word on whether there was any demand for payment.

Several major companies have been victims of cyberattacks recently.

JBS Foods, a major meat processing company, said this week it had been affected by a cyberattack that shut down processing plants in North America and Australia.

A cyberattack last month on the Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, forced its closure and led to long lines and panic buying at gas stations in the Southeast.