Officials were alerted to the cybersecurity event impacting county government systems early Wednesday morning. In a press release Friday, Fremont County Commissioner Chairperson Debbie Bell said there is no indication that city- and state-managed systems are compromised.
An incident response team jointly led by Fremont County Emergency Management and the Governor's Office of Information Technology has been mobilized with support from the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Colorado State Emergency Operations Center and federal partners.
"We are working to restore county services that were impacted by the cybersecurity event as quickly and safely as possible," Bell said. "We understand it can be very hard to wait, but please know we are waiting right alongside all of you. We also are seeking answers even as we are working around the clock to restore all county government services. We have every confidence in the team we have assembled and will seek resolution as quickly as possible."
Bell said because cyber attacks are a criminal offense, an active investigation is underway and specifics regarding the nature and cause of the event cannot be disclosed at this time.
"When it comes to fighting against cyber crime, we are stronger together," State Chief Information Security Officer Ray Yepes said in the press release. "The state deployed resources to help lead response and recovery efforts in the wake of Fremont County's cybersecurity incident, and we will continue to provide support in collaboration with our county, state and federal partners until all services are restored."
Fremont County's top priority is ensuring residents are safe and can access the county government services on which they rely. Bell said for that reason, county government officials are prioritizing the immediate services to be brought online.
While the cybersecurity event is preventing county employees from accessing business email, phone service is unaffected, secured computers are being provided and alternative email addresses are being identified to ensure business continuity.
Additionally, the county is committed to making county services available as quickly and safely as possible and a law enforcement investigation continues as officials look into the extent of the damage.
County residents are encouraged to visit https://fremontcountyco.state.co.us for incident updates and real-time information on the availability of county government services.
The Fremont County Call Center is available at 719-276-7421.
"We appreciate your patience as we work our way through this very difficult time," Bell said.
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