GILMER COUNTY, Ga. — Multiple services have been interrupted following a ransomware attack in Gilmer County, the county announced Tuesday.
A notice on the north Georgia county's government website confirmed the ransomware incident.
"Gilmer County recently detected and responded to a ransomware incident and has taken affected systems offline while we work to secure and restore services safely," the notice read.
The county said that while it has responded to the attack, delays are expected as it works to investigate and determine the effects of the incident.
There is no word on who is responsible for the ransomware attack at this time, but county officials said they are working with federal law enforcement and third-party cybersecurity forensics consultants to assist with the investigation.
Officials also said that although the county took most of its network offline to contain the attack, all essential services, including 911, continue to operate.
Gilmer County released a statement Tuesday afternoon regarding the cybersecurity incident, saying, in part: "The safety and security of our residents and our employees remains our top priority. We are working around the clock through this cyber incident and ask for your patience as we implement business continuity measures. We are grateful to have some of the industry’s top experts helping guide our response. Together, we will fully recover from this event and move forward as a stronger and smarter county."
11Alive has reached out to Gilmer County for more information on when the incident began and how long systems are expected to be down.
This comes after the Fulton County government was recently the target of a similar attack that impeded various county services after a cyber group threatened to leak sensitive information if a ransom was not met.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also, download the 11Alive News mobile app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia.