GeoVista Credit Union outage tied to nationwide data center failure; other local institutions possibly affected

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - GeoVista Credit Union members are struggling to access their accounts after a data center failure knocked out banking services not just locally, but for credit unions across the country.

GeoVista says the outage stems from a problem with its core processor — the third-party company that powers behind-the-scenes banking functions like transactions, account access and online banking.

According to a statement provided to our station, the processor’s primary data center suffered a cooling system failure, causing temperatures to spike and damaging critical storage and network equipment.

“This is not a localized GeoVista Credit Union outage,” the credit union said in the statement. “Credit unions like ours across the country that use the same core processor are being affected by a larger data center failure.”

GeoVista emphasized that the outage is not the result of a cyberattack.

“There has been no data breach or unauthorized access to member information,” the statement said. “This is a service availability issue, not a cybersecurity incident.”

A GeoVista representative confirmed to our station that debit card transactions have not been affected by the outage.

Crews from the core processor, its data center provider and hardware vendors have been working to restore service in phases, according to GeoVista. Each credit union’s systems must be individually validated before being brought back online, and GeoVista says it has not been given a confirmed timeline for full restoration.

“We understand how disruptive and frustrating this is, and we share that frustration with you,” the statement said.

Members feeling the impact

Johnny Howard, a GeoVista member since 1987, said he went to a branch Tuesday to withdraw cash for his wife and was turned away from the counter.

“As I attempted to go inside, I was greeted by several bank employees saying that the system was not currently available to obtain my wife’s funds, and that I could go through the drive-through and obtain it that way using the debit card,” Howard said.

“They weren’t sure when the system would be back up. It could be a few days, but it sounded like they really didn’t know.”

Howard, who said this is the first outage he’s experienced in nearly four decades as a member, is urging other GeoVista customers to prepare.

“I suggest everyone keeps some cash available at home who are customers of credit union, so that they’re able to meet their obligations,” he said.

Despite the disruption, Howard said his trust in GeoVista hasn’t wavered.

“It’s a good banking system, the credit union. The employees are all very professional and courteous,” he said. “I was just somewhat taken back and surprised this morning.”

What members should know

GeoVista said it will continue to share updates as they become available. The credit union declined an on-camera interview but provided a written statement to our station.

Members with questions about accessing funds are encouraged to contact GeoVista directly or visit a local branch for assistance.