The Steamship Authority Wednesday continued an inch-by-inch process of manually piecing operations back together following the ransomware attack last week that shut down its website and IT systems.
With the website still down, the boat line announced Wednesday that Islanders with preferred reservation status could book and change reservations in person at any of the five ferry terminals.
In addition, reservations can be booked or changed by calling the Mashpee reservation office. The telephone number is 508-477-8600.
Phone reservations are not restricted to people with preferred space status (reserved for seasonal and full time residents with profile numbers and people seeking medical appointments).
New reservations can be made for travel through June 16, the boat line said in an update Wednesday.
Extended hours at the Mashpee reservation office were announced Tuesday, with phone lines open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday.
Existing reservations are being honored and fees are being waived for cancellations and changes.
Some credit card access is available but customers are still encouraged to use cash to speed ticketing processes.
No other information was available about the ransomware attack which occurred last Wednesday morning. Boat line managers have been staying mum about the problem.
All else remained status quo Wednesday, as ferries ran on schedule and the boat line IT systems remained hobbled from the attack.
All non-reservation vehicle travel is being handled manually via standby.
A temporary web page lists schedules, fares, ticketing and parking information.
“We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience,” a statement on the temporary site said.
“We’ll be back soon!” a message posted on the boat line main website said Monday.
The message provides a link to the web page with schedules and explains the current ticketing process and other information, reiterating the waiving of fees for reservation changes or cancellations and encouraging the use of cash for transactions.
The message also said:
“The Steamship Authority continues to work with its internal team, as well as with third-party experts and local, state, and federal officials, to address the effects of the incident.
“Thank you to everyone for their continued patience.”
A form of malware that encrypts IT systems until a payment is provided, ransomware attacks have become increasingly common throughout the United States, crippling vital infrastructure from oil pipelines to the meatpacking industry to transportation. The Biden administration has called ransomware attacks a rising national security concern.
At the Vineyard Haven terminal Monday afternoon it was calm and quiet, both inside the ticket office and in the parking lot, where cars queued up in the standby line for a 4 p.m. departing ferry. The smell of salt air mingled with the faint scent of diesel fuel, as a ferry pulled into the slip.
Linda Talbott and her husband Pepsi were in the standby line headed off the Island after spending time at their home on Chappaquiddick.
Ms. Talbott said she had called in the morning to ask about the standby line but no one answered the phone. “If they don’t fix it in the next week or so there’s going to be some crazy people,” she said.
Rebecca and Lisa Berlow were in line too, having come to the Vineyard to visit their mother. They had an 8 p.m. reservation but thought they would try to leave earlier.
They praised the way the boat line had handled the problems.
“If you’re confident about the system and the way that they manage standby, they’ve done a great job.” said Lisa, adding: “People have been so polite, patient, and appreciative and understanding,” she added.
Aliyah Walker contributed reporting.
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