Malware caused Delaware County government computer disruptions

Delaware County officials say malware was the cause of recent disruptions in a portion of the county government’s computer system that affected employees’ ability to gain access to files within their network.

“Under the guidance of the computer forensic specialists, the county has restored critical systems and is strengthening the security of our network,” Adrienne Marofsky, Delaware County director of public relations, said in a statement.

The network’s apparent hack and the investigation into it became public knowledge last week.

Though 6ABC reported that the FBI was involved, county officials and the FBI would neither confirm nor deny the bureau’s participation in any investigation.

The county did note at the time that the Bureau of Elections and the county’s Emergency Services Department — which use separate computer networks — were not affected by the disruption.

With assistance from the third-party specialists, county employees worked through the Thanksgiving holiday to ascertain the severity of the problem and restore system functions.

“As our restoration is ongoing, we will continue to update network security processes, and change passwords as needed,” Marofsky said in the statement. “The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information in our care is one of our highest priorities. As part of our investigation, we are assessing impact on the integrity of data on our systems and will continue to work to evaluate the protections in place to protect that information.”