Chelan County government spent the holiday weekend in the digital dark after IT staff uncovered malicious software on county systems. In response, officials pulled the plug on computers, telephones and network routing across every department, pushing many services back to pen and paper and asking anyone with urgent business to show up in person. Emergency dispatch stayed up and running, but county leaders have not said when full service will be restored.
What happened when the county found the malware
County IT workers first spotted the malicious software around 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 24, according to KIRO 7. Chelan County Emergency Management quickly warned that the problem hit “all departments within Chelan County government.” As KIRO 7 reported, county social media posts said the network, computers and phone lines were shut down as a precaution, with a promise that a formal update would come on the next business day.
Services and the public impact
FOX 13 Seattle reported that routing, computers and telephone lines in every county office were turned off to keep the malware from spreading. According to FOX 13 Seattle, RiverCom 911 stayed online and the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office did not expect emergency response times to suffer, while residents with critical needs were told to come to county offices in person during normal hours.
How the county is responding
County spokesperson Jill FitzSimmons said IT teams are working alongside outside security specialists and forensic investigators to gauge how far the breach reached and to bring systems back up safely, according to KPQ. KPQ also noted that officials have not given a target date for restoration and that, with county offices closed for the Memorial Day holiday, a more detailed status report was scheduled for Tuesday.
Why officials often take systems offline
Federal cybersecurity playbooks say that isolating compromised systems, and if needed taking entire networks offline, is a standard move to contain malware while preserving evidence for investigators. Guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommends coordinated isolation of affected systems during an incident to reduce damage and protect forensic data CISA. Earlier this month, a separate global attack on the Canvas learning platform briefly shut down classes at Washington universities, a reminder of how quickly digital trouble can spill into daily life, according to KUOW.
What residents should do now
For emergencies, county guidance says to continue calling RiverCom 911, which remains in service, a point echoed on the agency’s website RiverCom 911. For non-emergencies and routine county business, residents should monitor the Chelan County website and official social media for updates and be prepared to handle urgent tasks in person until systems are back online. This story will be updated once county officials release their next status report.
