The impact of the security breach that left Bay Area-based Patelco Credit Union customers unable to access many of their financial services is still partly unresolved, Patelco leaders confirmed over the weekend.
While customers were still unable to access the ability to conduct online banking, transfer funds, check account balances and some other functions, Patelco CEO Erin Mendez said the credit union had “stabilized” the network and begun processing transactions in a message to customers Sunday.
“Once this is complete and we achieve full banking functionality, our members will be able to access their account balance and accounts as they typically would under normal circumstances,” Mendez said, although she noted that she could not say when that was expected to be completed.
The credit union is already facing legal accusations from its customers impacted by the security breach.
A lawsuit filed in federal court in Northern California against Patelco accuses the nonprofit credit union of a “failure to properly secure and safeguard sensitive information that Plaintiff and Class Members, as customers of Patelco, entrusted to it, including, without limitation, and upon information and belief, their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and/or financial account information.”
The lawsuit, filed by San Diego law firm Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz, LLP, notes that the customers still have not provided information about the root cause of the ransomware attack or information about which information was compromised.
Patelco has not yet filed a response to the complaint with the court.
In addition to being unable to check account balances or conduct online banking, debit and credit card functions were still limited as of Sunday evening, according to an update Patelco posted on a website dedicated to providing security breach updates.
Patelco members could, however, still deposit checks and cash, receive direct deposits or payments, and maintain scheduled bill pay functions initiated outside of the Patelco system.
Mendez also assured customers their money was not at risk and that the credit union was progressing in fixing the issues.
“The Patelco team has worked tirelessly through the weekend to advance our restoration efforts and fix this issue for our members as quickly and safely as possible,” Mendez’s note said. “First and foremost, our members’ money is safe and secure, and we are marching diligently toward full functionality.”
