The spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed that they suffered a ransomware attack and announced that they had recovered from the incident approximately two weeks ago.
The LockBit ransomware group leaked data they stole from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in northeastern Florida. Cybersecurity experts, who had entrance to the stolen data, claimed it included information on employees and warrants. The county, which is located about 45 minutes from Panama City, Florida, has a population of over 25,000 residents.
Sheriff Kevin Crews stated that they believe the attack originated in Russia, but they don’t have conclusive evidence to confirm it. Despite the uncertainty, the Sheriff’s department was thankful that their communication channels remained operational throughout the ordeal. This allowed them to continue providing uninterrupted services to the community.
The attack caused the finance and jail networks to go offline, and the department’s app was also impacted. The app remained inaccessible from February 21 until early March. To assist with the recovery process, the department hired a private IT company.
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