Winona County Paid $128,539 After January Ransomware Attack; Investigates Second Incident
Summary
Winona County paid $128,539.57 after detecting ransomware on Jan. 22. A separate attack was detected Apr. 7; officials are reviewing affected data to determine whether residents’ personal information was exposed.
Key points
- Winona County detected ransomware on its network on Jan. 22 and engaged forensic experts and federal law enforcement.
- The county paid $128,539.57 to resolve the January incident, with assistance from its insurance carrier.
- A separate, unrelated ransomware incident was detected on Apr. 7.
- The county is reviewing data affected by the April incident to determine what information was involved and who was impacted.
- If Social Security or driver’s license numbers were affected, the county says notification letters will include an offer of complimentary credit monitoring.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Winona County
- Incident Type
- Two separate, unrelated ransomware incidents affecting the county's computer network.
- Incident Date
- 2026-01-22
- Disclosure Date
- 2026-05-12
- Affected Records
- Unknown
- Affected Data Size
- Unknown
- Operational Impact
- Ransomware was detected on the county's computer network in both incidents. The source does not specify service disruption. Data affected by the April incident was under review to determine what information was involved and who was impacted.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- Winona County paid $128,539.57 to resolve the January incident, with assistance from its insurance carrier. The source does not identify the recipient or report a ransom demand. No payment is reported for the separate April incident.
- Claim Status
- confirmed