Merrimack County Cyber Incident Disrupts Police Data Access and Property Filings
Summary
Unauthorized activity disrupted access to criminal data and property-record processing in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Some systems remain offline as investigators assess the incident; ransomware involvement and any data breach are unconfirmed.
Key points
- The county is investigating unauthorized activity with third-party forensic specialists; officials said the investigation is in its earliest stages.
- The incident disrupted access to criminal records, driving information, and active warrants through the state’s IMC software for several jurisdictions.
- County dispatchers used information from other departments as a workaround; dispatch services and emergency responses remained functional, and Concord police were unaffected.
- The Register of Deeds reported an ongoing network outage and temporarily accepted property documents only on paper, delivered in person or by mail.
- Some county systems had been restored, but others remained offline as a precaution; officials gave no restoration timetable.
- The county has not disclosed whether ransomware or a ransom demand was involved, who was responsible, or whether personal data was breached.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Merrimack County
- Incident Type
- Cyber incident involving unauthorized activity and disruption to access to criminal data and property-record processing.
- Operational Impact
- Some systems were restored, while others remained offline as a precaution. Dispatchers temporarily could not access criminal data through the state’s IMC software; the county used information from other departments as a workaround. The Register of Deeds temporarily accepted property documents only in person or by mail. Call taking and emergency responses remained fully functional.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- The county had not disclosed whether ransomware was involved or whether it received a ransom demand.
- Claim Status
- confirmed