# Anne Arundel County Suffers Major Data Breach by Rhysida Ransomware **Anne Arundel County**, Maryland, officials have confirmed a significant data breach stemming from an August cyber incident. Hackers successfully exfiltrated files from government systems, with the **Rhysida** ransomware group claiming responsibility and demanding a $2 million ransom. ## Incident Details Emerge The county first detected “irregular activity” on August 28, initiating an investigation into a “limited subset of systems within the county computer network.” The probe determined that an unauthorized actor gained access to these systems and copied specific files. While officials have not yet disclosed the nature of the stolen data, investigators are actively reviewing the files to ascertain whether sensitive information pertaining to county residents was compromised. Federal law enforcement and other government agencies have been notified of the breach. ## Rhysida's Modus Operandi The **Rhysida** ransomware gang has threatened to leak 2.6 terabytes of documents stolen from the county if their $2 million ransom demand is not met. This attack aligns with **Rhysida**'s established pattern of targeting government entities globally. Recent victims of the group include the government of **Berlin**, from which they stole emails and contracts, **Kuwait’s Finance Ministry**, the **City of Seattle**, the **City of Columbus, Ohio**, and even the transportation department of **Maryland**. ## A Troubling Trend for Local Governments This is not **Anne Arundel County**'s first encounter with ransomware. Last year, the county faced a separate ransomware attack by a different group, which forced the shutdown of multiple systems. In an unfortunate coincidence, the county released a statement regarding last year's breach on Thursday evening, announcing breach notification letters would be sent out on October 19 for that incident. A county spokesperson clarified that the August 28 attack is a “separate incident” from the previous year’s event. They also noted a recent surge in “calculated cybercrimes specifically targeting state and local governments.” Across the United States, cities and counties in **Utah**, **Texas**, **Nebraska**, **Missouri**, and **Arizona** have all experienced service outages due to cyberattacks within the last two weeks, underscoring the escalating threat landscape for municipal entities.