WA transportation website improving; cyber security incident unclear

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Much, but not all, of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s website was back online Friday as technology staff worked to reboot the hobbled portal.

Key parts of the department’s services were working again, including mountain pass conditions, the real-time travel map, traffic cameras and online commercial vehicle permits. The dynamic ferry schedules, showing how many drive-up spaces remained, and parts of the ferry vessel watch function — showing the location and departure times of the boats — have also been restored.

Crucial parts of WSDOT’s online presence have been disrupted since Tuesday, when live travel information stopped updating and people’s ability to request permits or sign up for email notifications vanished.

On Thursday, WSDOT staff blamed a “cyber security incident” they said was targeted at the real-time information flow. The incident appears contained and no personal information was accessed, staff said.

The origin or motives of the incident are unclear. WSDOT has so far conducted all of its investigation internally and has not sought out law enforcement help, according to spokesperson Barbara LaBoe.

Citing security concerns, WSDOT staff have declined to elaborate, including when it was determined to be a security incident and if or when law enforcement such as the FBI might be brought in. LaBoe said WSDOT is working in close coordination with “federal partners.”

““We will work closely with law enforcement when and if needed,” she said Thursday.

Gov. Jay Inslee is in Australia on a trade mission. Spokesperson Jaime Smith said his office has been briefed, but deferred further comment to WSDOT.

Losing the website’s dynamic function means travelers looking for information were without a real-time travel map for most of the week. Ferry riders, in particular, who’ve come to ignore the preset schedules due to chronically late boats, rely heavily on tracking their ferries’ locations with the WSDOT app.

WSDOT staff will continue to work on restoring the website into the weekend, LaBoe said. Meanwhile, some functionality may continue to be spotty. Travelers can look to WSDOT’s various social media accounts for timely information.

“We know having systems down has been disruptive and frustrating and we’d like to thank the public for its understanding and flexibility in using our other tools and work arounds to stay informed,” LaBoe said.