Jackson County shuts down over ransomware attack

A US county was forced to close its offices for a week following a ransomware attack on its systems.

Jackson County, the second most populous county in Missouri, had its municipal offices struck by a cyberattack earlier this week, pushing the local government to turn off some of its systems.

“Jackson County offices will be closed through April 5th as we work through updating our system from the ransomware attack,” reads a message greeting the county’s website visitors.

According to the county’s statement, various systems will remain offline to safeguard the network and aid the recovery efforts. Local media reported that the attack impacted tax payments, online property, marriage licenses, and inmate searchers.

“We understand the inconveniences this may cause and are exploring every avenue to expedite the restoration of services and to provide alternative solutions for our residents,” County Administrator Troy Schulte said.

However, the country said that attackers had no access to sensitive financial data, as no such information was kept on the hacked systems. Instead, Jackson County’s payment services are managed by a third party.

Jackson County, located on the border between Kansas and Missouri, is home to over 700,000 residents.