US County Files Disaster Declaration Following Devastating Ransomware Attack
Clay County in Indiana filed a Local Disaster Declaration after a ransomware attack caused disruptions to “critical services.”
Days after falling victim to a ransomware attack, Clay County in the US state of Indiana filed a Local Disaster Declaration.
The initial attack occurred on July 9, and Clay Country announced on July 10 that “Clay County Courthouse operations will remain temporarily suspended due to the ongoing investigation and mitigation efforts.”
“Upon discovering the attack, county officials immediately took mitigation measures to prevent further damage and protect sensitive data. “We are working closely with leading cybersecurity experts and federal authorities to resolve the situation and ensure the security of our digital infrastructure,” Clay County commissioners said in a news release provided to local media outlets. The times of Brazil.
At the time, operations at the Clay County Courthouse were “temporarily suspended” following the incident.
However, on July 11, Clay County announced that “continued disruptions to the Clay County Courthouse offices and the Clay County Probation/Community Corrections system” were so severe that the declaration was necessary. of disaster.
“Clay County local government suffered a significant ransomware attack in the early morning hours of July 9, 2024,” the Clay County Emergency Management Agency said in the document. “This has resulted in the inability to provide critical services necessary for the daily operation of all Clay County Court, Community Corrections and Probation offices.”
“Now, therefore, we, the Board of Commissioners of Clay County, declare that a local disaster emergency exists in the county and that we hereby invoke and declare those parts of the Indiana Code that are applicable to the conditions and have caused the issuance of this proclamation, which shall be in full force and effect in the county for the exercise of all emergency authority necessary for the protection of the lives and property of the people of Clay County and the restoration of local government with minimal disruption. .”
The Local Disaster Declaration will be valid for seven days. Clay County government’s website remains down, but its 911 line remains operational.
As of this writing, no threat actor has claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack.
