Missouri's Jackson County had some of its IT systems disrupted following a suspected ransomware attack, according to Ars Technica.
Impacted systems included those for tax and online property payment processing, inmate searches, and marriage license issuance, said county officials, who also noted the closure of all Assessment, Collection, and Recorder of Deeds offices across the county due to the incident.
Officials emphasized that both the county's Board of Elections and the Board of Elections of Kansas City, which is located in the county, were spared from the attack. Investigation into the exact nature and extent of the incident is still underway but there has been no indication of any data compromise, they added.
Meanwhile, possible significant financial losses from the intrusion have already prompted Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., to issue a state of emergency declaration.
"It is directed that all county staff are to take whatever steps are necessary to protect resident data, county assets, and continue essential services, thereby mitigating the impact of this potential ransomware attack," said White.
