Albemarle County Faces Ransomware Attack, Data Exposed

Verizon Phone Outage in Albemarle County

Verizon customers in Albemarle County are facing a significant phone network outage that has disrupted communications for government facilities and residents. The outage has also affected Charlottesville and Greene County.

County facility phone systems are currently down with no estimated timeline for restoration. Non-emergency lines of Albemarle County are also affected, prompting the police department to request residents to email them for assistance.

Charlottesville has reported that their desk and mobile phones are down as well, although buildings remain open during business hours. Residents are advised to call 911 for any utility emergencies, as these calls will be routed to Utilities Dispatch.

Social media users have reported similar issues affecting phone services at the University of Virginia and Greene County.

Ransomware Attack on Albemarle County

Albemarle County officials confirmed that the recent phone and technology outages were a result of a ransomware attack. This cyber incident occurred last month, exposing sensitive data of local government and public school employees.

Officials revealed that hackers accessed a range of sensitive information, including driver's license numbers, Social Security numbers, and military IDs. Some of the county's 112,000 residents may also have had their personal information compromised.

The attack was first detected on the morning of June 11, with investigations revealing that it began the afternoon prior. The county has engaged federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to assist with the investigation.

As a precaution, the county is offering one year of free identity protection services to affected residents and employees. Phone services at county facilities were restored after two weeks of outages.

Ongoing Investigation and Community Support

Albemarle County’s Communications Director Abbey Stumpf confirmed that the ransomware incident necessitated a temporary shutdown of internet services in county offices. Data that may have been accessed includes names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of residents.

The county is cooperating fully with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to assess the situation. Support measures include offering credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services through a recognized provider.

Ransomware is a malicious software designed to lock data and demand payment for its release. The county had appropriate backups in place, preventing any ransom from being paid.

Jeff Richardson, Albemarle County Executive, emphasized that while there is no evidence of personal information misuse, the county is focused on ensuring community trust and security.

For further information regarding the cyberattack, residents can visit the official cybersecurity incident information page.