Jackson County, Missouri District with a population of more than 715,000 inhabitants, fell victim to an extortion attack that impacted the system of tax payments and online services. This included real estate registration, issuing marriage certificates, and prisoner searches.
Officials of the district reported significant failures in the IT systems due to the attack of a ransomware program. Some systems have become inoperative while others are functioning as usual. Offices responsible for tax evaluation, collection, and real estate registration are closed indefinitely due to the incident.
The cyber attack did not target the Electoral Council of Kansas City and the Jackson County Electoral Council. Law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity specialists have been engaged to eliminate the effects of the attack and restore system performance.
Currently, county employees are closely cooperating with cybersecurity partners to determine the cause of the incident and confirm the exact nature of the system failures. While no information has been provided regarding ransom demands by the criminal group, efforts are underway to prevent further spread of the attack.
The impact on residents due to office closures is deemed significant. Authorities assure ongoing updates to the public on the situation. The incident was discovered by district employees on the morning of April 2. It is noteworthy that Jackson County is not the sole target of cyber attacks in Missouri in recent times, with similar incidents affecting other institutions such as hospitals and transport services.