WINONA COUNTY, Minn. — Winona County says it paid more than $128,000 to resolve a ransomware attack that hit its computer network in January.
County commissioners said they detected ransomware on January 22 and immediately brought in cybersecurity experts and federal law enforcement. After careful consideration and guidance from their cybersecurity team, the county negotiated and paid a fee of $128,539.57 with help from its insurance carrier.
“Although making the payment in connection with the January incident was a difficult choice, we determined it was the necessary approach to best serve the interests of Winona County residents and employees,” county commissioners said.
The county sent written notification to affected people on May 12. It also posted information on its website and notified the media about the attack.
But that wasn’t the only breach. On April 7, the county says it detected a separate and unrelated ransomware attack on its computer network.
The county again launched an investigation with help from cybersecurity and data forensics consultants. It also notified federal law enforcement and state agencies.
Commissioners said the county has invested in digital security, but sophisticated criminals continue to threaten computer networks. They assured residents that aggressive measures have been and will continue to be taken to minimize the risk of similar attacks.
The county is now conducting a comprehensive review of data affected by the April attack to determine what information was involved and who was impacted. If the review finds that someone’s Social Security number or driver’s license number was affected, that person will receive a notification letter with an offer of complimentary credit monitoring and related services.
Commissioners thanked elected officials and the public for their support and patience during the incidents. Winona County says it remains committed to strengthening its cyber defenses against future attacks.
Click Here For The Original Source.
