Spartanburg County officials said a ransomware attack was detected on their network.
Following the attack, a county spokesperson issued the following statement:
We recently identified and responded to a ransomware attack on our computer network. Upon learning of this, we began working to investigate, restore operations, and determine the impact of the incident. We are also working with nationally recognized third-party cybersecurity consultants. We continue to actively monitor the situation and coordinate with law enforcement. The safety and security of our county residents and employees remains our highest priority. The county’s Information Technology Department and cybersecurity and forensics team continue to work to monitor and recover the affected systems. All essential services remain operational, including 9-1-1 operations and emergency communications.
The county administration is open to the public today - however, some online services may be unavailable while the network continues to be tested. As a reminder, our hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the agency had been notified of the attack. They did not provide additional details.
However, there are a host of other questions about how serious the security breach is. And the people FOX Carolina spoke to wonder if they will feel it in the months or years to come.
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A ransomware attack was detected on the county's computer network on Thursday. The source is still unknown. According to a county spokesperson, as soon as they became aware of it, they began an investigation to restore operations and determine the impact of the incident.
Meanwhile, a county spokesperson said they are working with third-party cybersecurity consultants. Additionally, the county's IT department and forensics teams are still working to test and recover the affected systems.
According to the Department of Justice, ransomware is the world's biggest cybercrime headache, affecting schools , governments , healthcare and retail . Last year, it saved victims $130 million in ransom payments—yet, just in February, the U.S. Marshals Service's computer system suffered a major breach .
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FOX Carolina called and emailed the county representative with a list of questions, including how long the recovery will take. However, they have yet to hear back.
Information source: foxcarolina.com
