Seminole County Clerk of Courts Office

Summary

The Seminole County Clerk of Courts Office closed its public locations after a cyber intrusion prompted officials to shut down computer systems to protect records and prevent further damage. Residents were turned away and unable to make payments, though emergency services remained operational and payment deadlines were extended to avoid penalties. The office initially accepted cash and checks before halting all payments, and outside cybersecurity experts were brought in to resolve the issue. Officials reported no encryption or ransomware effects and stated that services were expected to return to normal shortly.

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Description

The Seminole County Clerk of Courts Office remained closed for a second day on Friday after a cyber attack forced the shutdown of its computer systems. Clerk Grant Maloy stated that the breach began on Oct. 8 as part of a wave of worldwide cyber security attacks. County officials noticed a cyber intrusion on Wednesday around 5 p.m. and immediately shut down the internet out of an abundance of caution to protect the records they hold and prevent any other damage. Maloy said the incident stresses him out and that one of his biggest fears is cyber security, adding that threats will keep increasing with AI because the bad guys have better tools now. A sign posted outside the office read that due to a system-wide outage affecting all locations, the offices were closed to the public until further notice. On Friday, residents attempting to make payments or handle business at the clerk's office were turned away. The closure marked the second consecutive day that the public could not access normal clerk's office services.

Janal Johnson, a Seminole County resident, shared her frustration after arriving to make a payment on traffic fines and being forced to take time off work, only to return again because of the closure. Johnson said she was shocked to see the sign because she typically comes to the office without inconvenience. The clerk's office accepted cash and checks on Thursday, but by Friday no payments were being accepted. Maloy assured residents that payment deadlines were being extended to prevent penalties. The county brought in outside cyber security experts to address the issue and believed the problem had been resolved. Maloy said the good news was that there had been no encryption and no ransomware had taken effect. Officials stated they were doing everything they could to prevent any damage to the system and any compromised data. Emergency services at the clerk's office remained operational on Friday. Officials expected all services to return to normal by Monday.

Sources

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