Cybersafetyconnections  May 5,2025 vol #218 

  • From konbriefing there was a ransomware attack on DuPage County – Wheaton, Illinois, USA (DuPage County). 
  • The cyberattack impacted the Sheriff’s Office, the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, and the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. 
  • There is no statement as to the reason for the ransomware attack currently. 
  • No cybercriminal has claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack. 
  • Here is how DuPage County mitigated loss from the cyberattack. 

What happened? 

PictureDuPage Country Court House 

According to PositivelyNaperville.com, as reported by Chief Judge Bonnie Wheaton, Circuit Court Clerk Candice Adams, and Sheriff Jim Mendrick, last week April 28, 2025, there was a ransomware attack on DuPage County. 

The report has it that There was an outage in the Sheriff’s Office and the County Courthouse. All other County operations had not been impacted.  

In-person court operations were minimally impacted and were expected to continue as scheduled. The outage did not impact jail operations or on public safety. 

Who was impacted? 

PictureDuPage County Sheriff’s Office 

The ransomware attack impacted the Sheriff’s Office, the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, and the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. 

Why did it happen? 

PictureParalizzare tuto con un disc 

No reason has been given for the ransomware attack from the report so far. Is it safe to assume then that a ransom may be demanded? 

Which cybercriminals are claiming responsibility for the ransomware attack? 

PictureBloquea a los usuarios infec… 

No cybercriminal has claimed responsibility for the attack. 

How did DuPage County mitigate loss from the cyberattack? 

OWASP Threat and Safeguard Matrix 

From PositivelyNaperville.com,DuPage County Chief Judge Bonnie Wheaton, DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk Candace Adams, and DuPage County Sheriff Jim Mendrick provided the following information: 

  • The County has contacted the FBI and Secret Service, and the matter is still under investigation and more information will be provided as it becomes available. 
  • The Systems were taken offline, and the County is working to determine the full extent of the attack.  
  • The Sheriff’s Office indicated there is no impact to the jail and In-person court hearings would proceed the next day. 

From the virtual desk of Copilot, here is how DuPage County mitigated loss from ransomware attack: 

DuPage County has taken several steps to mitigate the impact of the ransomware attack that affected the Sheriff’s Office, the 18th Judicial Circuit Court, and the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Here’s how they’ve responded: 

  • Ensuring Continuity of Operations: Despite the attack, in-person court operations continued with minimal disruption, and jail operations remained unaffected. 
  • Taking Systems Offline: Officials took affected systems offline to contain the threat and assess the full extent of the attack. 
  • Engaging Federal Authorities: The county contacted the FBI and U.S. Secret Service to assist in the investigation and response. 
  • Providing Backup Services: The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management provided backup telephone and internet services to the Sheriff’s Office. 
  • Round-the-Clock IT Support: IT personnel have been working continuously to restore affected systems and ensure security. 

Conclusion 

While the full details of the attack are still under investigation, these measures have helped maintain essential government functions and minimize disruption.

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