Washington County hit with cyber ransomware attack

TLDR: Washington County in Pennsylvania has confirmed that the cyber attack it experienced two weeks ago is a ransomware attack. The county is currently in active negotiations to deal with the attack. County commissioners held an emergency meeting to allocate hundreds of thousands of dollars to address the situation. Some computer systems are still down, and IT professionals are working tirelessly to restore them. The county, along with the FBI and Homeland Security, is also working on securing the system against future attacks and addressing the ransomware issue. The county plans to hire a cyber security firm from Chicago to restore the computer network, implement better security measures, and cover legal fees and settlements, which will cost approximately $400,000. The county will use funds from the American Rescue Plan for this purpose, which is deemed to be a correct usage according to the guidelines.