Southold records portal finally back up after hack, with some ‘slowdowns’

Southold Town’s Laserfiche online records portal is finally up and running again, nearly seven months after it initially went down following a cybersecurity attack.

Officials gave the long-awaited update at the Town Board work session Tuesday morning, saying that while the system is back online, there are still a few kinks to work out.

“There are a few little internal adjustments we need to make, but it’s accessible to everybody through the web,” said Zac Tomaszewski, the town’s technical coordinator.

Some people have been experiencing severe “slowdowns” when trying to use it, Town Board member Brian Mealy said.

Mr. Tomaszewski said he personally hadn’t noticed any issues but suggested the delays could be the result of heavy traffic, with “everybody trying to get on it.” He urged community members to be patient when accessing the system.

“I’m just excited that it’s back,” Mr. Mealy said.

Southold network specialist Liam Chiello also provided an update on the cybersecurity improvements that have been underway since the November 2025 attack. Before the breach, he said, Laserfiche was not as isolated from the town’s internal systems and computers as officials would have liked. That has since changed.

“How we have it set up now is where it’s a little bit — I wouldn’t even say a little bit — a lot safer,” Mr. Chiello said.

The cyberattack, which occurred the day before Thanksgiving, forced Southold police to write reports by hand before nearly all of the town’s computer systems were restored by Dec. 9. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Suffolk County officials responded in the wake of the attack.

No suspect has been publicly identified in connection with the cyberattack.