Albemarle County recently became the victim of a ransomware incident. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that cybercriminals use to break into computer systems and lock up important data. Their goal is often to steal sensitive or personal information. Even with strong and up-to-date cybersecurity protections in place, these types of attacks are becoming more common. As the County had appropriate backups in place to restore its data, the ransom was not paid to the cybercriminals.
While the investigation remains ongoing, some initial details have been confirmed. On the morning of June 11, 2025, Albemarle County discovered issues with its IT systems and quickly determined that it was the victim of a ransomware incident. When County staff discovered the incident, they immediately implemented security measures and engaged leading cybersecurity experts to assist in assessing and resolving the situation. Based on their investigation, it appears the incident began late in the afternoon on June 10, 2025, and was perpetrated overnight. During that time, information from the County’s systems may have been inappropriately accessed and/or obtained by an unauthorized user. State and federal law enforcement agencies were notified, and the County is fully cooperating with their investigations into this matter.
At this time, it appears likely that the data of local government and public school employees was impacted by the incident. County resident data may have also been impacted; however, the investigation into this incident continues in an effort to pinpoint and confirm the affected data. The data that was illegally accessed may include information including name, date of birth, Social Security numbers, and other similar identifiers. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that the information is being used for harm.
Out of an abundance of caution, Albemarle County is offering complimentary credit monitoring, fraud consultation, and identity theft restoration services to Albemarle County residents and employees through Kroll, a respected provider in this industry.
“To provide peace of mind, and because trust is the foundation of everything we do, we are offering free credit monitoring and identity protection resources to our constituents and employees. We recognize how important personal information is and take our responsibility to protect it seriously,” said Jeff Richardson, Albemarle County Executive. “While we have no evidence that anyone’s personal information has been misused, we want our community to feel reassured and supported. Virginia law does not require us to take this step, but we believe it is our responsibility to go beyond the minimum.”
Since the incident, Albemarle County has completed a comprehensive review of its systems, implemented additional safeguards, and is using this incident as an opportunity to further strengthen its cybersecurity posture for the future. For further information about this incident, please visit Albemarle.org/CybersecurityIncident.