WINONA, Minn. (KIMT) – Winona County detected a cyberattack on its systems April 7, marking the second attack on the county this year.
Investigators believe the attack came from a different perpetrator than the one who targeted the county in January. That earlier attack remains an open criminal investigation.
Winona County Emergency Management Director Ben Klinger said the ransomware attack mostly affected the county’s DMV systems and vital statistics systems. County officials shut down some vital systems as soon as they detected the threat to contain the damage.
“Let me be very clear on one critical point. If you call 911 you will get a response, our emergency services, law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch, are operating and responding to calls,” Klinger said. “We train and plan for situations like this, and those plans are working.”
Governor Tim Walz sent 15 IT specialists from the Minnesota National Guard to help with the investigation. Klinger said he couldn’t share details about the ongoing investigation.
The county’s main network is still experiencing issues. Klinger said there is no timeline for when the systems will be running again.
Some departments have resorted to using pen and paper while services are down, causing delays in clerical duties. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is also providing support in the investigations of the attacks.
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