Anson Record file photo

Anson Record file photo

WADESBORO — Most government services are anticipated to be restored by the end of July, following the ransomware attack on the Anson County Government in early May.

The county reported a cyber intrusion on “non-critical operating systems” on the first of May. Then it was reported the attack was a malware attack, which is a common cyber attack where the hacker executes unauthorized actions on the victim’s system.

The attack compromised a significant number of internal servers, causing disruptions to telephone and email communications. The county had to set up new cell phones for each department in order for the departments to connect with citizens.

There was no ransom fee paid.

Since the attack, several departments have been restored with others expecting to return by the end of June.

The County GIS system should return by the end of day on June 28, although some functions of the system could take longer, according to a press release from the Anson County Government. New county email addresses and county owned desktop computers are also scheduled to be functional by the end of the week.

About 60% of the county government telephones are back working and by early July it is expected that most of the county government telephone services will be restored.

“Full recovery will take several months or longer, although most public facing operations should be restored to normal before the end of July,” a press release states. “In addition, the County is focusing on making its operations as secure as possible to prevent future incursions. We continue to ask for your patience as we move forward.”