FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: The video used is from an earlier report.
Fulton County officials are slowly working to bring back online services that had been knocked out due to widespread outages stemming from a cybersecurity incident.
In a March 15 update, officials said that telephones had been restored across the organization and that significant progress had been made to restore systems across the county.
The county has established a website, FultonCountyGA.gov/cycerresponse, that will provide updates to the public as services are brought back online.
Here's the latest.
Property Tax System
Officials said on March 15 that public access to the Fulton County Property Tax System had been restored. Payments can now be made online through the Fulton County Tax Commissioner's website or by phone at 404-612-6000.
Property record access is also available through the Fulton County Tax Assessors website, along with other functionality of the Tax Assessors' Office.
Phones
Fulton County officials said on March 15 that all telephones have been restored across the organization.
Courts
On March 15, officials said that the public can now access court filings through Research Georgia. The site includes publicly available filings for Superior, State, Magistrate and Probate Couty. If users do not have a re:SearchGA account, they will need to create one.
E-filing is also available for most courts except for File and Serve Express through State Court. The Juvenile Court's JCATs system has also been restored.
That said, some filings that were made since the incident in late January may not appear at this time while restoration continues.
The offices of the Superior and Magistrate Clerk at North Fulton and South Fulton Service Centers have reopened for notary commission and passport services. Customers should visit the Clerk's website to make an appointment.
The Fulton County Probate Court is also now able to issue marriage licenses and firearms permit renewals. Jury service continues as normal. Fulton County officials also previously said the electronic warrant system is operational and most scheduled hearings continue. First appearance hearings are also continuing.
For more information, people should contact the court where they are interacting.
Third-party Background Checks
On March 15, officials said that background checks conducted by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and Fulton County Police Department were not affected by the cyberattack.
Third-party background checks completed by accessing court records were affected by the outage. Those checks can now be completed following the transition to a new record search site. Companies conducting third party searches should access records through re:SearchGA.
Elections
The Georgia Secretary of State's office said Fulton County's issues will not affect the upcoming presidential preference primary on March 12. However, its IT division has locked down the GARViS system as a precaution.
In the Feb. 14 update, officials said election offices are open, and they are prepared to start early voting on Monday at 36 locations.
Email / Wi-Fi
Officials said the county's email system has not been affected, and internet service is in place, including public Wi-Fi in most facilities.
Libraries
The Fulton County Library System’s online catalog and platforms are available. Public computers at Fulton County libraries are still unavailable at this time.
Motor Vehicle Division
In a previous update, county officials said the Fulton County Tax Commissioner Office in Downtown Atlanta will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
All offices can process all motor vehicle-related transactions, and the Georgia Department of Revenue has approved a “holiday” for Fulton County residents who couldn't process their motor vehicle permits during the outage.
Personal information
Chairman Pitts said they are not aware of any transfer of sensitive information about citizens or employees at this time, but they are continuing to look into it.
Other services
- For additional information or to connect with other county services, please email customerservice@fultoncountyga.gov or call 404-612-4000.
"Fulton County personnel are working around the clock to restore services safely. Fulton County will continue to provide updates throughout this response," officials added in the release.