ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A ransomware attack is believed to be behind a “cybersecurity incident” that left several Fulton County government services unavailable for weeks, according to officials.
“This is a serious matter and it will take time to resolve,” said Robb Pitts, Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman.
On Wednesday, Fulton County leaders gave their first public update since Feb. 5 on a cyber attack against the county.
The incident, first reported on Jan. 28, has impacted most of the county’s services, including processing and operations at the county courts and jail.
“While our investigation remains ongoing, we do have evidence that suggests this was a result of a ransomware incident caused by financially motivated actors,” Robb Pitts, chairman of Fulton County Board of Commissioners said during the news conference.
County officials said someone on the dark web claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack but the investigation is ongoing.
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County leaders said there are workarounds to keep the court system working. The Fulton County Jail has switched to backup systems.
“This incident is one that has already affected thousands of residents and we want to thank them for their patience,” Chairman Pitts said.
A third of the phone lines are active, first appearance systems are working and libraries are continuing operations.
Pitts said early voting for the presidential primary election will begin as scheduled on Monday at 36 locations across the County.
Officials said the property tax system is in progress of being restored. The water billing system is still down. Electronic payments are not accepted currently and there will be no late fees for customers or disconnections during the outage.
There are also delays in the justice system.
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In an online notice posted on Feb. 5, a spokesperson wrote that Fulton County is working with federal and local law enforcement to investigate and recover from the incident.
In early February, Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts said they do not believe the cybersecurity incident is tied to the election process or other current events.
“While we will not be satisfied until all of our systems are back up and running, we have made progress to bring you additional services online,” Pitts added.
Neither Chairman Pitts nor any other County leaders took questions from the media on Wednesday.
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