1 year later: FBI continues Spartanburg Co. ransomware attack investigation

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – It has been nearly a year since Spartanburg County fell victim to a ransomware attack.

The attack impacted thousands of people, including large agencies and departments such as the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, county courthouse, Register of Deed’s Office, and others.

Officials said the ransomware attack happened on April 27th, 2023. It affected online county services and phone lines.

At the time, county leaders said their IT department detected the attack on their computer network and worked closely with a nationally accredited cybersecurity company to resolve the issue.

That’s when the Federal Bureau of Investigation stepped in.

The county said they were unable to comment on the open investigation a year ago. That statement still stands today.

Following the ransomware attack, Spartanburg County residents have felt the impact.

Response times have been somewhat slower, in some cases, as different departments have been forced to go offline to search for information manually, as opposed to having it all at their fingertips with a simple click online.

A spokesperson told 7NEWS that the county systems have not fully returned to where they were before the attack. However, the county said they have taken time to combat the lingering effects by expanding and improving services.

Spartanburg County leaders said they’ve made and continue to make county-wide upgrades to phone systems and computers. They said they are also working to strengthen security across different platforms.

The FBI confirmed that the Spartanburg County ransomware attack is still apart of an active and ongoing investigation.

An increase in ransomware attacks around the world continues to impact the cybersecurity of businesses and other organizations, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Federal agents said there are a list of steps you can take for added protection.

• I have been hit by ransomware
• How can I protect against ransomware?
• Identify assets that are searchable via online tools and take steps to reduce that exposure
• Understanding patches and software updates
• Using caution with email attachments

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