Anne Arundel County Offices Closed In Response. Impact on Residents In Russett, Watershed, Fieldstone, and Maryland City Is Unclear
The Pittman administration closed county offices on Monday, citing an "ongoing cyber incident." However, officials have yet to provide any details about the nature or extent of the incident, leaving both the public and members of the Anne Arundel County Council and Maryland General Assembly in the dark.
As the disruption entered its fourth day, some employees affected by Monday’s closures were instructed to "work remotely using Google or internet-based systems"—a directive that left cybersecurity experts baffled. One expert called the guidance "wild" and stressed that the administration must offer more clarity on the situation.
(L-R: County Executive Steuart Pittman and County Councilman Pete Smith
Anne Arundel County Council member Pete Smith confirmed that he and his colleagues have not been briefed on the incident. "I cannot answer any specific questions because the administration has not disclosed—even to council members—which systems are impacted," Smith said. He noted that he has received several inquiries from constituents and hopes that the county executive's team will provide more transparency in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the FBI recently issued an advisory about a potential ransomware threat known as "Ghost." According to the warning, "Ghost" attackers exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in software and firmware to infiltrate internet-facing servers before deploying ransomware.
While it's unclear if this attack is related to the county's ongoing cyber issues, the lack of information from officials has fueled speculation.
As residents and local leaders push for answers, questions remain about the severity of the incident and the administration's ability to safeguard taxpayer data its digital infrastructure.
