For the second time in just more than three years, the Lansing Board of Water and Light faces an emergency that limits its ability to serve customers. But unlike the 2013 ice storm that left 40 percent of the utility’s 96,000 customers without power for nearly two weeks, the city-owned utility is the victim of a crime that requires assistance from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, officials said Wednesday.
A cyber attack this week on BWL’s internal network forced the utility to shut down its accounting system and email service indefinitely for about 250 employees. It also forced the utility to shut down phone lines, including a customer assistance line that’s often used for account inquiries. Power and water shutoffs by the utility are also suspended until further notice.
