CLARK COUNTY, Wash. — Suspicious activity detected on Clark County's computer network in late October was the result of a cyberattack, the county confirmed Friday morning.
The county said it became aware of the suspicious activity on the countywide network on Oct. 21. Some parts of the county's website was down and the issue also delayed processing voter registration updates in the county elections office. The voter registration database, which is operated by the Office of the Secretary of State, wasn't affected and there are no longer any delays in updating information, the county said.
"Clark County takes the security of our network and data very seriously," said County Manager Kathleen Otto in a news release. "As soon as we discovered the suspicious activity, we took steps to confirm the security of the county network and launched an investigation."
An investigation determined the suspicious activity was the result of a "sophisticated cyberattack." There is currently no indication that any employee or resident information was impacted, but information technology employees are investigating to determine the nature and scope of the cyberattack, according to the county's website. The county also said it will be transparent if any information was compromised.
Officials have not said what type of breach it was and whether it was a ransomware attack. They are working with an outside forensic consultant to investigate.
Clark County's website has been restored and the network is secure, however, some employee computers may not be working.
The county said it will release more information to the public when additional details become available. More information is posted on the county's online FAQ page.