County spokesman Nathan Rudy said the county “experienced a ransomware breach” this morning and as part of the county’s response, officials temporarily shuttered the county email system. An investigation is underway, he said.
Tuesday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting is postponed.
Phone lines and offices remain open, although some requests are unable to be completed, like registering deeds, Rudy said. The public is encouraged to call before they visit the county’s offices to ensure they can accomplish what they want.
Emergency services, including 9-1-1 communications, are unaffected and fully functional, he said.
“With the exception of email, the county is performing most normal functions. That said, we have activated our Emergency Operations Center and our Continuity of Operations of Government Plan,” said county administrator Colleen Mahr.
“It is our assumption that this situation will remain in effect at least for the rest of the week,” she said.
The county is investigating the incident, Rudy said. It has notified its insurance company of the breach, along with the county prosecutor’s office, state, and local municipalities. He declined to say how the breach may have started.
In Mercer County, East Windsor officials experienced a cyber breach in March. Residents received fraudulent emails from an address designed to look like an official township address. Officials declined to say how that breach started.
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