WINONA, Minn. (WXOW) — Winona County paid more than $128,000 following a January ransomware attack, according to a county news release.
The county said it negotiated and paid $128,539.57 with assistance from its insurance carrier after ransomware was detected on its computer network Jan. 22, 2026.
Officials said the decision was made after consultation with the county’s cybersecurity team and was intended to support the full resumption of county services and protection of personal information.
Winona County said it immediately began investigating the January incident with third-party forensic experts and federal law enforcement. The county notified affected individuals in writing on May 12.
A second ransomware attack was detected April 7. The county said that incident was separate and unrelated to the January attack.
Winona County again launched an investigation with assistance from third-party cybersecurity and data forensics consultants. Federal law enforcement and appropriate state agencies were also notified.
According to the release, the county is still reviewing data affected during the April incident to determine what information was involved and who was impacted.
If that review finds that someone’s Social Security number or driver’s license number was affected, the county said that person’s notification letter will include an offer of complimentary credit monitoring and related services.
County commissioners said in the release additional measures have been and will continue to be taken to reduce the risk of a similar incident in the future.
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