Detroit-area government services impacted by cyberattack

Wayne County, Michigan is dealing with a cyberattack that has shut down all government websites and limited the operations of several offices. 

Home to Detroit, the county is the largest in the state with more than 1.75 million residents. 

County spokesperson Doda Lulgjuraj told Recorded Future News that the investigation into the cyber incident is ongoing. 

“Impacted services have been transitioned to backup processes to maintain operations. Barring any unforeseen issues, we expect the county website to be fully operational by the start of business on Friday,” he said. “This will restore access to online property tax payments and property records.”

Lulgjuraj also sent a brief statement to local affiliates from ABC, FOX and CBS on Wednesday, confirming that a cyberattack targeted “some internal systems,” Lulgjuraj said. 

“We are currently investigating the scope of the incident with our cybersecurity partners which include the FBI and Michigan State Police,” he told the outlets yesterday. 

A spokesperson for Detroit mayor Mike Duggan said city systems have not been affected by the attack. 

Sources told ABC that the county is dealing with a ransomware attack that began on Wednesday. 

Corrections officers within the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office have struggled to process inmates, the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office has had issues collecting taxes online and the Wayne County Register of Deeds Office closed early on Wednesday, limiting the ability of real estate leaders to conduct work, ABC reported. 

Wayne County Probate Court told Recorded Future News that its systems were still functioning as of Thursday afternoon. 

State officials did not respond to requests for comment. Government bodies in Michigan have been battered throughout 2024, with the municipalities of Flint and Traverse City both dealing with ransomware incidents. 

Two of the country’s biggest hospital systems with several arms in Michigan — Ascension and McLaren — were also forced to limit operations due to ransomware attacks.