Chelan County WA government shuts down networks after cyberattack

CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. - Chelan County officials shut down all government computers, networks and telephone systems on Memorial Day after detecting a malicious software hack that impacted every county department.

Chelan County cyberattack forces network shutdown

What we know:

The county's IT department detected the malware attack at 10 a.m. on Monday. As a safety precaution, officials immediately turned off all network routing, computers and telephone lines across every government office.

The widespread shutdown does not impact emergency services. Residents facing an emergency can still call Rivercom 911, and the Chelan County Sheriff's Office expects no delays in response times to calls for service. For residents who have critical business with county departments, office remain open for walk-in assistance during regular business hours.

What we don't know:

Officials do not know the full scope or extent of the data damage caused by the malware hack. Because county offices are closed for the Monday holiday, an official update on the system recovery status is not expected until Tuesday.

What's next:

The county's IT department is working alongside external security partners to safely bring the compromised computer systems back online. Officials have not established a specific timeline for when the network will be fully operational.