Semae Falls Victim to Cyber-Attack

On July 10th, Semae, the Municipal Water and Sewage Company, fell victim to a cyber-attack, resulting in system disruptions, particularly in the Integrated Commercial System (SCI), and affecting various services such as title transfers, license plate access, social tariff requests, and local inspections. Efforts are underway to gradually restore these services. During the breach, unauthorized individuals gained access to the network, causing data corruption and hijacking of files, including backups. Consequently, access to essential documents in areas such as engineering projects has become inaccessible.

The State Department of Criminal Investigations (DEIC) is currently investigating the incident. Following guidance from the Civil Police, no contact was made with the perpetrators after their extortion attempt. The organization’s Information Technology Management team is working to restore the files, ensuring that the servers can resume their regular operations.

Presently, customer service, commercial activities, and financial services remain unaffected, ensuring uninterrupted service provision. Water supply and sewage treatment services have not been impacted by the cyber-attack.

About São Leopoldo Municipal Water and Sewage Service (Semae)

The São Leopoldo Municipal Water and Sewage Service (Semae) is a public utility company responsible for providing water supply and sewage treatment services in the municipality of São Leopoldo, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Semae plays a crucial role in ensuring the availability of clean and safe drinking water to the residents of São Leopoldo. The company is responsible for the collection, treatment, and distribution of water throughout the municipality, as well as the proper management of wastewater and sewage.