Cyberattack hits Wayne County; services affected as hacker demands ransom

Wayne County government fell victim to a cyberattack Wednesday, according to sources, bringing some services to a standstill.

It was not clear Wednesday who was behind the hack, but a source says the hacker made a financial demand of the county through ransomware.

“The county information technology team is aware of a cyber incident targeting some internal systems,” county spokesman Doda Lulgjuraj said. “We are currently investigating the scope of the incident with our cybersecurity partners which include the FBI and Michigan State Police.”

The impact of the hack is being felt throughout county government, and the full scope of the cyberattack is not fully understood.

At the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, jail inmates could not be bonded out while the servers were comprised, a source said.

Defense attorneys said they couldn't schedule visits with their clients following the hack.

The Wayne County Treasurer’s Office reported that tax payments could not be collected online but said taxpayers could still make payments in person.

The Wayne County Register of Deeds Office closed at noon on Wednesday following the hack, meaning residents couldn’t record real estate sales or obtain property records.

It was not immediately clear how the Wayne County prosecutor’s and clerk’s offices were affected by the hack, but neither office's website was working throughout the day.

On Thursday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement, "Please be advised that the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is open and functioning as usual."

A spokesman for the Third Circuit Court said business continued as usual Wednesday.

Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.