WORLDTECHAnne Arundel County confirms August intrusion that copied government files
Anne Arundel County in Maryland has confirmed that an unauthorised party gained access to a limited number of its computer systems and copied files, after irregular activity was spotted at the end of August. The county is still working out how much information was exposed.
What the county has confirmed so far
A county spokesperson told The Record that officials noticed irregular activity on August 28 and opened an investigation focused on a limited subset of systems within the county network.
According to the spokesperson, the investigation found that an unauthorised actor reached a small number of systems and copied certain files from them. The county's account describes the intrusion in those terms and does not extend it beyond that set of systems.
Open questions about residents' data
The spokesperson did not answer questions about what kind of data was involved. Investigators are reviewing the copied files to determine whether any of the stolen information relates to residents of the county.
The county is home to more than 600,000 people and includes the state capital, Annapolis. Dozens of federal agencies maintain offices or headquarters in the area, among them the Defense Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The facts do not establish whether any federal data was among the files copied.
Open questions
- What type of data was copied from the county systems?
- Does the stolen information relate to county residents?
- Were any federal agency records among the files taken?