Anne Arundel County ransomware disrupts public services

Anne Arundel County detected suspicious activity on 22 February 2025 and later confirmed that the incident was an externally originated ransomware attack. The response restricted county network access and systems, and on 24 February county buildings, Aging and Disabilities customer-service centers, recycling centers and the landfill were closed; payment and other processes were also temporarily limited or shifted to manual work. Essential services remained operational, and the county states that it returned to full operations using restored IT systems and some manual processes a few days after the incident began. The investigation also confirmed unauthorized access and downloading of files.