Pierluigi Paganini April 04, 2024

Jackson County, Missouri, confirmed that a ransomware attack has disrupted several county services.

A ransomware attack disrupted several services of the Jackson County, Missouri. The County Executive Frank White, Jr. declared a state of emergency.

“Jackson County has confirmed a ransomware attack was responsible for the disruption of several county services today.” reads the statement released by the County. “The rapid response by county associates, especially those within the Information Technology (IT) Department, has played a critical role in mitigating the impact of the attack.“

“IT IS DIRECTED that all county staff are to take whatever steps are necessary to protect resident data, county assets, and continue essential services, thereby mitigating the impact of this potential ransomware attack.” reads the Executive Order issued by the County Executive. “IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the County Administrator is directed to evaluate the need for appropriations from the County’s emergency fund and, if necessary, identify additional financial adjustments to address the fiscal requirements imposed by this emergency. This Executive Order shall take immediate effect and remain in place until it is amended or rescinded by subsequent orders.”

The county promptly responded to the security incident and took down some systems to prevent the threat from spreading.

As a result of the attack, the Assessment, Collection and Recorder of Deeds offices at all county locations remained closed to the public and will likely remain closed until the end of the week.

“We understand the inconvenience this may cause and are exploring every avenue to expedite the restoration of services and to provide alternative solutions for our residents,” said County Administrator Troy Schulte. “Protecting the integrity of our systems and the confidentiality of our data remains our top priority. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our community as we work through this challenging situation.”

The county confirmed that financial data were not impacted because managed by a third party provider, Payit, which was not involved in the incident. The county also confirmed that the myJacksonCounty system has not been impacted by the incident and no customer data in myJacksonCounty has been compromised.

The County is investigating the security breach with the help of law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity experts.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, ransomware)