Pottawatomie County assesses recent cyber attack

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By Chris Fisher
Published: Sep. 21, 2021 at 10:50 PM BST
POTTAWATOMIE CO., Kan. (WIBW) - Officials in Pottawatomie County are assessing the extent of a cyber attack discovered last week.

Pottawatomie Co. Public Information Officer Becky Ryan confirms that county IT staff discovered an active cyber attack on Friday, September, 17.

Ryan says the breach encrypted multiple servers, which prevented the access of many systems used every day. Those specific systems were not identified.

Officials say essential services like the county’s 911, Fire, EMS, and Sheriff’s Office do not appear to be impacted.

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Ryan says the full extent of the infiltration is still unclear, but the county is working “diligently to identify the scope of the affected data and how it was compromised.”

Officials say Pottawatomie Co. has technology and procedures in place to prevent an attack like this from happening.

Ryan said local and federal law enforcement agencies are involved, and asked residents, employees and businesses for patience “as we continue to gather facts and restore systems.”