County Offices Reopening After 'Cyber Incident' In Anne Arundel

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County Government offices will reopen Tuesday. A "cyber incident of external origin impacting some public services" had shuttered public buildings on Monday.

"While buildings will be open to the public, residents are encouraged to contact departments to determine their operation status before visiting as some services may be limited," a Monday afternoon press release said, directing constituents to aacounty.org/departments for contact information.

Senior Activity Centers will be open Tuesday. All Department of Recreation and Parks amenities, including regional parks, will be open.

The county's recycling centers and the landfill will be open. Normal curbside collections will continue as scheduled.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Anne Arundel County Public Library were not affected. Schools and libraries remained open throughout the disruption. 911 and 311 also remained operational.

"Please note that the county is still taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our systems and will continue to update the public as more information becomes available," the Monday press release said.

County spokesperson Gabby Reed declined to answer Patch's questions on whether this is a cyber attack and whether the county's systems are being held hostage until a ransom is paid.

"Because this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to share any other information. We will continue to provide updates as they become available," Reed told Patch in a Monday email.

The Anne Arundel County Government first announced the issues Saturday at 10:15 a.m., saying it was still determining the full scope of the incident and "taking the most proactive approach to ensure our systems are safe."

"Based on our conversations with cyber specialists, this is a multi-day event. We do not have a timeline for full service restoration yet," the county government said Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. "We are engaging with each department to identify and discuss their current state of operational needs."

Telework-eligible employees are encouraged to continue working remotely due to potential internet connectivity issues. Emergency and essential employees must report at their normal times.

All employees should consult with their supervisors to determine appropriate work assignments based on IT systems availability.

The county's precautionary measures include limiting access to the internet and some systems until full operation is restored.

Officials are working with the Anne Arundel County Office of Information Technology, public safety officials, cybersecurity specialists and each department to conduct a full investigation.

The Anne Arundel County Government will post updates on its X account.