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  "description": "The county confirmed a cybersecurity incident after days of phone, internet and payment disruptions, while RansomHouse claims remain under review.",
  "path": "/prince-george-county-cyber-claim/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-17T18:54:33.000Z",
  "site": "https://dysruptionhub.com",
  "tags": [
    "first public alert",
    "social media notice",
    "Kittson County, Minnesota",
    "Spartanburg County, South Carolina",
    "Chelan County, Washington"
  ],
  "textContent": "****Editor’s note:**** This story has been updated with a statement from Prince George County confirming the outage was caused by a cybersecurity incident, that law enforcement was notified and that most county systems and services have been restored. The update also adds the county’s response to a RansomHouse leak-site claim.\n\nPrince George County, Virginia, said a cybersecurity incident disrupted certain county network systems beginning June 11, affecting phone, internet and online payment services while 911 and non-emergency dispatch remained available.\n\nThe county said the “vast majority” of systems and services have been restored, though recovery continues on a limited number of remaining systems. Prince George County, whose county seat is Prince George, is a southeastern Virginia county in the Richmond metropolitan area with about 43,600 residents.\n\nPrince George County posted a website notice saying an internal network outage was affecting county phone and internet lines. (Screenshot by DysruptionHub)\n\nIn a statement provided after DysruptionHub requested comment, Interim County Administrator Kristen D. Pudlow said the county identified a cybersecurity incident affecting certain systems, activated response protocols, engaged external cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, investigation and recovery, and notified law enforcement.\n\nThe county’s first public alert reviewed by DysruptionHub said the outage was countywide as of 9 a.m. June 11 and affected county phones and internet lines. A later June 11 post said the outage affected phone and internet service across all county offices, though offices would remain open during regular business hours.\n\nPrince George County said in a June 11 Facebook post that a countywide network outage was affecting phone and internet lines. (Screenshot by DysruptionHub)\n\nOfficials said some services could be delayed or temporarily unavailable. Residents were told to call 911 for urgent assistance or the county’s non-emergency dispatch line for non-emergency police, fire or EMS calls.\n\nThe county said residents could still access its website, but online bill pay systems were affected. An alert visible on multiple county pages also said the outage was affecting online payment applications and that staff were working to fix the issue.\n\nIn a June 12 social media notice reviewed by DysruptionHub, the county Utilities Department said water and wastewater payments were unavailable during the outage. The department said bills mailed in May with a June 15 due date would not receive late fees until June 30.\n\nRansomHouse listed Prince George County on its leak site and claimed the county was encrypted on June 10, 2026. County officials confirmed a cybersecurity incident but have not confirmed ransomware, encryption or data theft. (Screenshot by DysruptionHub)\n\nRansomHouse, a ransomware extortion group, listed Prince George County on its leak site, claiming the county was “encrypted” on June 10, 2026, and posting an “evidence pack.” DysruptionHub reviewed a screenshot of the listing.\n\nPudlow said county officials are aware that references to Prince George County have appeared on a website associated with cybercriminal activity. She said it is common for threat actors to make claims during or after cybersecurity incidents and that the county is working with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to assess and verify information as part of the investigation.\n\nThe county has not confirmed RansomHouse’s encryption claim, data theft or a ransom demand. Pudlow said the county would provide additional information “if and when it can be confirmed.”\n\n****Chip in once****\nIf this reporting helped you, a one-time tip helps cover hosting, tools and future investigations.\n\nTip us\n\n****Support us monthly****\nA small monthly pledge keeps independent coverage and our reader tools online for everyone.\n\nBecome a Supporter\n\nThe county said critical data backups supported the restoration process and played an important role in recovery. Officials said critical county operations remain stable and that they are optimistic the remaining services will be restored soon.\n\nThe investigation remains ongoing, and the county said officials continue to work with cybersecurity experts, legal counsel, law enforcement and other partners as part of the recovery process.\n\nThe county said it expects to provide future updates only as significant developments occur or additional services are restored.\n\nThe incident follows several recent cyber-related disruptions at county governments, including limited DMV services in Kittson County, Minnesota; network and internet disruptions in Spartanburg County, South Carolina; and a malware-related shutdown of county computers and phones in Chelan County, Washington.\n\nAs of the county’s statement, most systems and services had been restored, critical operations were stable and recovery continued on a limited number of remaining systems. The county has not said whether data was taken, whether any ransom demand was made or when the investigation will be complete.\n\n****Attribution note:**** DysruptionHub credits upstream reporting and primary sources—see citations above. If this report informed your coverage, please cite DysruptionHub with a link.",
  "title": "Prince George County, Virginia, restores most systems after cyber incident",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-17T23:41:09.608Z"
}