Authorities in the New York capital region said they were investigating the cyberattack ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Albany County Mayor Daniel McCoy said in a statement to Recorded Future News that he is working with the state's Homeland Security and Emergency Services Cyber Incident Response Team after discovering a potential issue with the county's network.
“We are currently investigating a possible cybersecurity breach,” McCoy said. “Anyone wanting to apply for a certificate of residency online will no longer be able to do so. They will need to call the finance department. To our knowledge, no data breach has occurred.”
The county did not answer several additional questions, including when the incident began, whether it was a ransomware attack or whether federal law enforcement would be asked to assist.
The cyberattack, first reported by the Times Union, has affected the county of more than 310,000 residents, which noted that between 2019 and 2021, the county dealt with ransomware attacks on the local airport, its 911 dispatch center and the city of Albany itself.
Last month, the New York State Assembly was also hit by a ransomware gang that targeted the systems it uses to draft and print bills.
The governor has made cybersecurity a pillar of his work since a devastating attack on one of the state's wealthiest counties in 2021, and recently announced changes to state cybersecurity rules that will require regulated organizations to report ransomware payments and take other steps to protect customer data.
Gov. Kathy Hawkle appointed Colin Ahern, a former company commander in the U.S. Army Cyber Brigade, as the state's first chief cyber officer in June 2022, adding an additional $35 million to the state's cybersecurity budget of $61.9 million last year.
Ransomware attackers continue to target county and city governments in the United States, with the city of St. Helena in California and Macon-Bibb County in Georgia still recovering from attacks this month.
Ransomware expert Brett Callow has been tracking the incidents and said at least 45 local governments have been affected by ransomware this year.
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