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Notice of Breach to Online Bill Pay System
The City of Deerfield Beach takes the security and protection of its customers’ confidential credit card information very seriously. On Thursday, September 12, 2019, the City was alerted by its third-party vendor used to process online utility and business tax payments, that the City server had been breached. Third-party vendor Central Square informed the City that only the credit cards of residents or businesses who used the online bill pay system from Friday, September 6 to Thursday, September 12 might have been compromised.
Late Monday, September 16, 2019, Central Square was finally able to identify what customers may have been impacted by the breach, and letters will be mailed to those customers. The Information Technology Services Department (ITS) has removed Central Square’s infected software from City servers. New servers were built with appropriate patches and software from Central Square, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office was notified.
Anyone who has made an online payment to the City through the website during the specified timeframe (September 6 – 12) should check their credit/debit card statements and notify the City and financial institution of any irregular transactions. Residents who pay by automatic draft or check have not been impacted.
The online payment system will be down until a thorough investigation has been completed and the City is confident all payments being processed are once again secure. The City is quickly working to restore in-person credit card payments. In the meantime, residents and businesses can pay by cash, check or money order at the cashier’s window inside City Hall located at 150 NE Second Avenue, Deerfield Beach. Payments can also be made by mail to:
City of Deerfield Beach
P.O. Box 865631
Orlando, FL 32886-5631
There will be no disconnections or late fees applied this month due to this incident. We want residents to know that the City’s ITS Department continues to upgrade its systems to protect customers from Cyber Security issues. Deerfield Beach has the most up-to-date virus protection, firewall technology, and regular security checks are conducted. This isolated issue was due to vulnerability from a third-party vendor used for processing payments. We will update residents once the online bill pay system is back up and running. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
For more information on your account, please call 954-480-5500.
