Patelco makes minor restorations but no end near for crippling credit union cyber attack – The Mercury News

Patelco Credit Union has restored some online functionality after its customers were locked down for a week due to an ongoing cyber attack targeting its systems and databases.

By Friday, Erin Mendes, CEO of Dublin-based Patelco, had tried to assure customers that “your money is safe and secure,” but customers were locked out of their online accounts and unable to check their balances or confirm direct deposits.

In a July 3 update, Mendez wrote that cybersecurity experts “have reviewed and approved our core systems.” He assured customers that Venmo and PayPal payments would be available and that borrowers would not be penalized or assessed fees for missed payments during the system attack. The credit union also opened a phone support line from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 4 to take calls regarding customer accounts.

This follows an initial notice detailing how Patelco had locked customer accounts on June 29, preventing anyone from accessing information relating to statement balances, online payments, direct deposits, remittances and other routine functions.

Since then, Social Security payments have gone unpaid, customers have suffered late fees for late payments and many have complained about a lack of communication from Patelco.

“We know this continues to be frustrating for our members and many of you have questions,” Mendes wrote. “We hear your concerns and are working around the clock to address them. Our team is committed to doing all we can to support our members through this difficult situation.”

It is still unclear when the credit union’s systems will be fully operational, how much of the credit union’s more than $9 billion in assets was affected, and whether sensitive customer information was targeted and leaked or stolen.