Mower County announces resolution of impact from June ransomware attack
Published 1:40 pm Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Mower County has announced that it has resolved all issues resulting from the June ransomware attack that forced the county to close down its network.
It has since been bringing systems online on a gradual basis as cybersecurity and data forensic consultants worked to rectify any remaining issues.
“The Mower County Commissioners are pleased to announce that the recent ransomware incident that impacted the county computer network has been resolved and the county is in the process of securely restoring systems,” said a statement issued by Mower County Administrator Matthew Verdick. “After careful consideration and guidance from a team of nationally recognized third-party cybersecurity and data forensic consultants, the county negotiated and paid a fee to ensure a full and efficient resumption of services and protection of personal data.”
“While making the payment was a difficult choice, the commissioners determined it was the necessary approach to best protect personal data and serve the interests of Mower County residents and employees. At this time, progress continues to be made to get county systems operational, and steps have been taken to strengthen system security.”
The statement further explains that commissioners determined this was the best approach to further, “protect personal data and serve the interests of Mower County residents and employees.”
“The county is conducting a comprehensive investigation and reviewing the data impacted by this incident,” the statement later read. “Should we learn that private and confidential information was affected by this incident, the County will send breach notification letters to the home address of the impacted individuals, as legally required.”
Commissioners and administration indicated that the ransomware attack demonstrated that criminal actors are an on-going threat to computer network systems and want to assure citizens that aggressive measures have been and will continue to be taken to minimize the risk of a similar event taking place.
“The commissioners extend their appreciation to their fellow elected officials and the public for their support and patience during this incident,” the statement read.
The investigation is ongoing and additional details are unavailable at this time.
The news comes just about a week after it was announced that the county’s records system for running property searches was once again operational, marking an important step in the recovery process.
The attack itself took place in the early morning hours of June 18.
