In early June, Mower County discovered a ransomware attack on its computer systems. As a safety measure, officials shut down the affected systems. The county’s IT team, along with external cybersecurity and forensic experts, jumped in to investigate and begin recovery.
Emergency services like 911 kept running without interruption, but most other county services were paused to contain the threat. Initially, there was hope that systems would be back by the following Friday. But as it stands, recovery has been slower than expected.
Scanning for Weak Links
Sai Huda, CEO of cybersecurity firm CyberCatch, explained how these attacks typically happen. Hackers use AI-driven tools to scan the internet for weak points. They look for outdated systems or easy passwords—the path of least resistance. In this case, Mower County became a vulnerable target.
Huda’s main point is this: smaller organizations that haven’t invested in strong security are often the easiest to attack. Even if they’re not high-profile, they can still suffer major disruptions when hit.
The Impact on Residents
For locals, the outage wasn’t just an IT problem—it hit daily routines. Residents like Bridgid Kelly ran into dead ends when they tried to access the county’s GIS hub to look up property data. The system simply wasn’t working. As she put it, “When I went on, I realized it would not let me access the property data of anything and the site was down.”
This created friction for real estate transactions, tax assessments, and any task relying on public records.
Where Things Stand
County Administrator Matthew Verdick shared a phased update. The IT team, still working closely with cybersecurity experts, is taking a methodical approach. Some services, like on-site property lookups, are already back online.
They’re bringing systems back bit by bit, and delays are expected as they work through each layer of recovery.
An official timeline was expected by Monday, though not all systems are back yet. Verdick emphasized that the team is doing everything possible to reduce inconvenience and thanked the public for its patience.
How You Can Protect Yourself
The cybersecurity advice is simple but powerful: start with your passwords.
- Use a unique password for every app or service.
- Avoid obvious ones like “12345” or “password.”
This isn’t just about best practices. Weak passwords are a wide-open door for attackers. Strong password hygiene is one of the easiest ways to lower your risk.
What Comes Next
The county’s next moves are clear:
- Continue forensic work and complete the system restoration.
- Strengthen defenses based on expert guidance.
- Keep the public informed through consistent updates.
- Audit their full security posture to close any remaining gaps.
More clarity is expected soon. Until then, county staff and security teams are working long hours to bring things back safely and securely.
Bottom Line
Here’s the thing, cyberattacks aren’t just hitting big corporations anymore. Smaller counties with tight budgets are equally exposed when their defenses lag behind. Mower County’s experience drives home two points:
- Hackers don’t need a reason. They just need a vulnerability.
- Simple habits like updating passwords can make a big difference.
The bigger message? Cybersecurity isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. Whether you’re a local government or an individual, staying prepared isn’t overreacting. It’s responding to the reality we’re all living in.
