LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A cyberattack that has paralyzed large portions of state government services is now entering its second week, leaving thousands of residents and businesses without critical services.
State websites, phone lines and the DMV remain partially offline, creating a ripple effect that's hitting local businesses hard. For some companies, the shutdown has brought operations to a complete standstill.
WATCH | Jhovani Carrillo speaks to a local business owner about how cyber attack has stalled sales
At Fairway Rent-A-Car Sales & Repairs in East Las Vegas, cars that would normally be flying in and out of the lot are now sitting idle. The woman-owned business specializes in fixing and selling vehicles that were involved in crashes, but the breach has left the DMV unable to complete crucial safety inspections they need to get those cars on the road.
"The issue that we are having is that we cannot do salvage safety VIN inspections, so here at Fairway, we specialize in rebuild titles, meaning that every single one of our cars has to go through a very thorough inspection with the body shop as well as the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Of course, without those inspections being open to us, we are unable to put new cars out there on the road. We have customers that are waiting on cars that have been promised to them and we are not meeting those deadlines," said Maalouf.
She said state law requires DMV safety inspections before those vehicles can legally return to the road.
"In order to sell them to the public, we have to get that safety inspection from the DMV," Maalouf said.
Currently, the company has about 15 cars waiting for that crucial inspection. While roughly 25 vehicles are fully inspected and ready to sell, Maalouf warns their inventory usually moves quickly and supply won't last long if the DMV shutdown continues.
"It's a really tough spot that we've been in, and we just need some answers soon," she said.
At the moment, customers are being understanding, but that patience can only last so long when they're waiting on vehicles they've already put deposits on.
"They are just not giving us any kind of solutions, and they have to understand post-cyberattack, businesses have to continue to run here," Maalouf said.
When asked how much longer the business can survive if the situation continues, Maalouf was blunt about the timeline.
"With our type of turnaround time and our high sales every week, I would say we wouldn't be able to last more than a couple of weeks," she said.
I reached out to the governor's office and the DMV to ask when inspections will resume, but have not yet received a response.
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