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Jackson County confirms ransomware attack disrupted county's IT systems Tuesday

Jackson County Assessments
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A ransomware attack has been confirmed to have disrupted Jackson County's IT systems Tuesday.

Jackson County's tax payment, online property, marriage license and inmate search systems were impacted.

In response to the disruption, the assessment, collection and recorder of deeds offices closed at all locations on Tuesday.

The county said later Wednesday those offices will remain closed the rest of the week.

Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. declared a state of emergency as a "proactive measure" against the attack.

He also touted the county's IT response as the reason damage was limited.

"The swift action taken by our staff today highlights the resilience and preparedness of our staff,” White said in a statement. “I am particularly proud of our Information Technology Department for their decisive response in protecting our systems and minimizing damage."

Some Jackson County systems were inoperative, others had operational inconsistencies and a few functioned normally.

At this time, there is no evidence indicating any data has been compromised.

"The integrity of our digital network and the confidentiality of resident data is the County’s top priority," per a release from the county.

Law enforcement has been notified of the incident, and IT security contractors are assisting with the investigation.

The county said it doesn't keep any financial information for customers on its systems. Instead, such information is handled and protected by a third-party company called PayIt.

A PayIt spokesperson said no customer data was compromised by the attack.