b'INFO TECHNOLOGYSEA45Limited access to anticipated response tools was anotherIm amazed that we kept chugging along, Breed says.shortcoming. Because the Ports active directory was dumped,Staff hand wrote baggage tags Aug. 24 to 25, and then used most staff couldnt access Microsoft 365 or other everydaygeneric printed tags until the Port could access uncompromised applications. Nearly 2,500 workstations were upgradedbackup files to restore its normal processes. Once achieved, that to Windows 11 after they were encrypted. Software wascrucial milestone also re-enabled common-use carriers to check painstakingly reset with new passwords and logins, requiringin passengers electronically.significant time to coordinate between information technology staff and affected employees. Public communications duties were divided into three functional areas. Guizlo served as the overall lead, with Media Relations Once the decision to rebuild the data center was made, PortManager Perry Cooper handling press inquiries, and Lampert staff used available hardware that had been previously purchasedleading the social push. They all recognized the power of imagery for other upcoming projects. Coupled with new orders facilitated byand tasked any staffer with a smart phone to capture and send trusted reseller World Wide Technology, a new data center beganthem videos and still photos.to rise from the ashes. An outside data infrastructure company provided further support through its storage and cloud-based tools. If an employee spotted a blacked-out display, for example, that imagery was shared via social media. The same applied as There was a near-daily balancing act, however, as immediatetravelers were observed waiting in long lines at baggage claim, or operational needs conflicted with informational technologywhen staff offered directions with hand-written signs.security. Despite that, Warren says stakeholders remained incredibly collaborative to ensure no system came back onlineI needed those pictures to tell that story for media, as well prematurely. as for the public, Guizlo explains. We can say it over and over again, but being able to see it is a different story.It was a constant back and forth of finding new information and then figuring out how we can bring something back safely, sheGuizlo credits trust between his team and Port leadership, says. From a (security) perspective, I was Burn it to the groundwhich set up basic guardrails but otherwise did not interfere with and rebuild, even though I know that was never really an option. efforts to provide transparency. This allowed them to fend off rumors and address issues before they grew into crises.Good fortune reared its beautiful head once again thanks to a Port server engineer who, before the attack, was preparing to runSince many members of the Communications team have tests on new file server hardware. In the course of that work, shejournalism backgrounds, they were able to anticipate which had placed weekly copies of data in a legacy location that was unknown to and remained uncompromised by Rhysida. That was where we ultimately recovered our saved data, Warren says.Even so, that stroke of luck revealed a shortcoming that needed to be corrected going forward. Those copied files, Breed notes, never should have existed in a legacy location outside of the Ports newer cloud-based SharePoint systems that remained protected from the hackers breach attempts.It became very apparent that a lot more people were using that legacy file share than we had estimated, he says. Campaigns strongly encouraging Port staff onto the cloud are now continually emphasized to help lessen the likelihood of future data vulnerabilities.Turning the Tide Port leaders report that SEA received strong support from its airlines and internal stakeholders, with most frustrations stemming from uncertainty about when tech systems would come back online. Despite disruptions to vital processing systems, the airport experienced some delays but no flight cancellations.AirportImprovement.comJanuary | February 2026'