Cyberattack knocks out Tazewell County email, phone systems

Tazewell County’s government phone and email systems remain down after a cyber incident last week.

Tazewell County Sheriff Jeffrey Lower said the incident occurred early last Monday. The Tazewell County computer network was proactively taken offline to determine the nature of the incident and the best response.

“The two major systems that appear to be most affected are the telephone and email,” Lower said.  “The email system remains offline, but we have begun restoring the telephone system.”

County officials are looking into the cause of the incident, Lower added.

The Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department is treating the event as a criminal investigation and has enlisted the help of expert consultants. Lower was not certain when services would be fully restored.

“It’s very inconvenient for everybody, but I feel confident we’ll get it taken care of quickly,” he said.

Tazewell County Clerk and Recorder of Deeds John Ackerman said last week in a Facebook post that the cyber incident would not delay of interfere with the Established Political Party Petition Filing for the March 2024 Primary Election, which began Monday morning.

“Our office will remain open throughout this current phone and Internet issue, but we may not be able to accommodate all services,” he added. “We ask for your patience and understanding in the days to come.”