Maryland’s official Real Property Search tool is offline after the state’s cybersecurity team spotted suspicious activity on the servers that host the State Department of Assessments and Taxation’s property database. The Department of Information Technology detected the issue on Tuesday, then quickly cut public access while investigators dug into what happened. State officials say early analysis shows the affected systems held only information that was already public through the Real Property Search, and they do not expect a wider cybersecurity risk. The site will stay down until it is cleared for public use, and county assessment offices are standing by to help anyone who needs records in the meantime.
State site flashes emergency maintenance warning
Right now, the State Department of Assessments and Taxation’s Real Property Search page is displaying an “emergency maintenance” notice instead of search results. The message sends users to the SDAT homepage and local county assessment offices for help tracking down records. It also warns people to steer clear of third-party websites or unofficial links that claim to offer SDAT records while the official tool is offline. SDAT says its contact center and local county offices are geared up to handle the extra calls and emails during the outage, according to the SDAT Real Property Search page.
State tech team spots odd activity, shuts search tool off
The Department of Information Technology’s Office of Security Management picked up on suspicious activity on servers that run the SDAT application and pulled the plug on the search tool while an investigation is underway, as reported by Eye On Annapolis. Initial analysis from DoIT’s security office indicates those systems contained only public information that was already visible through the Real Property Search, and officials say they are not seeing signs of a broader cybersecurity threat at this stage. The Office of Security Management is responsible for coordinating statewide incident response and security policy for Maryland’s state systems, per DoIT.
State tells residents to skip sketchy shortcut sites
State officials are urging Maryland residents and businesses not to turn to third-party websites or unofficial links that claim to provide SDAT property records, warning that those sites may not be secure or reliable. Instead, the advisory directs anyone who needs property information to call or visit their local Real Property Assessment county office for help. The guidance also refreshes some basics of good cyber hygiene, including keeping software up to date, watching for phishing attempts, using endpoint protection tools, choosing strong passwords, and turning on multi-factor authentication, per SDAT.
Who feels the squeeze while the site is dark
The outage could slow down title searches, real estate closings, appraisals, and other work that depends on quick access to public property records. The timing is not ideal for professionals or homeowners. Several filing deadlines and seasonal workflows bunch up in mid-April, including business annual report requirements that drive up demand for SDAT data, according to LegalClarity. Many title companies build in backup plans for short interruptions, but if the outage drags on, they can be forced into slower manual searches and face delays that ripple through closings and lending.
Latest scare echoes earlier cyber troubles
Maryland agencies have wrestled with disruptive cybersecurity incidents before. In 2025, a cyber issue involving the Maryland Transit Administration required coordination with DoIT and led to temporary service impacts, according to MDOT's MTA. Episodes like that help explain why officials sometimes move quickly to yank systems offline, even if it is inconvenient, to contain potential risk and protect data.
What happens next for Maryland property searches
Officials say the Real Property Search tool will stay offline until investigators finish their review and the system is cleared to return to public service. They plan to post updates as the situation evolves. Until then, anyone who needs property records is being told to contact their county assessment office or SDAT’s contact center for assistance. Officials told Eye On Annapolis that staff are ready to handle the extra demand while the search site is down.
