Description

Several state agencies across the U.S. are grappling with disruptions caused by ransomware attacks. On March 26, 2024, Gilmer County, Georgia, announced via its website that it had fallen victim to a ransomware incident, affecting its ability to deliver services to its 30,000 residents. The county promptly responded by taking affected systems offline while working to secure and restore services. Edwina Daman, County Clerk for the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners, stated that federal law enforcement had been notified, and a cybersecurity firm had been engaged to address the attack's aftermath. While Daman did not disclose whether the attackers had identified themselves or if a ransom demand was made, she confirmed that essential services, including 911 operations, remained operational. However, many systems remained offline as the county devised plans to ensure continued service delivery securely. Georgia, like many other states, has been confronting a surge in ransomware attacks on county government offices. Fulton County, the state's most populous, is still in the process of restoring critical services following a ransomware attack by the LockBit gang in January. Similarly, government offices in Augusta, Forsyth, and Hall have faced ransomware attacks in recent years, resulting in service disruptions and citizen data exposure on the dark web. In Texas, Tarrant County, home to Fort Worth, reported its own ransomware incident affecting the Tarrant Appraisal District responsible for property value assessments. The district experienced a network disruption on March 21, forcing services offline. While the FBI and Texas Department of Information Resources are investigating the incident, the district's phone and internet services remained down as of the latest update. This incident adds to the growing number of ransomware attacks targeting state and local governments across the U.S. in the first quarter of 2024, with over 25 incidents confirmed publicly so far. Additionally, the Southern Nevada Health District recently warned residents of a data breach resulting from hackers inserting malicious code into a payment website.