**Ransomware Attacks Disrupt Government Services in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico**
Over the past week, cybercriminals launched ransomware attacks targeting government systems in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico, disrupting critical services for thousands of residents.
In Durant, Oklahoma, a city of over 20,000 and the largest settlement on the Choctaw Nation reservation, officials confirmed a ransomware attack on Sunday. The city’s website remains offline, and digital payment systems are affected. While emergency services remain operational via 911, the police department reported network outages, leading to longer wait times. The incident follows a pattern of ransomware attacks on Native American governments this year, with the RansomHub gang claiming responsibility for previous strikes in Minnesota and Michigan.
Meanwhile, Lorain County, Ohio, home to over 315,000 residents, disclosed a network security incident that forced multiple government systems offline. Courts were temporarily shut down, though emergency services remained available. The county has engaged cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach, which follows recent ransomware attacks on Cleveland Municipal Court and Columbus, Ohio, the latter exposing data of over 500,000 residents.
In Puerto Rico, the Department of Justice and the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service reported a cyberattack targeting the Criminal Justice Information Office. As a precaution, services—including criminal record certificate issuance—were suspended while authorities work to contain the breach. The FBI and CISA have not commented on their involvement, though both agencies previously assisted Puerto Rico in responding to a cyberattack on its water supply agency.
The attacks highlight the ongoing vulnerability of municipal systems, with recovery efforts often spanning weeks or months. In Abilene, Texas, officials are still rebuilding infrastructure after an April ransomware attack, despite refusing to pay the ransom. The city faces potential data leaks of 477 GB of resident information.
Source: https://therecord.media/thousands-impacted-by-cyberattacks-states-puerto-rico
City of Durant cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/city-of-durant-oklahoma
"id": "CIT1767304505",
"linkid": "city-of-durant-oklahoma",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '20,000+ residents',
'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'Durant, Oklahoma, USA',
'name': 'City of Durant',
'size': '20,000+ residents',
'type': 'Municipal Government'},
{'customers_affected': '315,000+ residents',
'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'Lorain County, Ohio, USA',
'name': 'Lorain County',
'size': '315,000+ residents',
'type': 'County Government'},
{'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'Puerto Rico',
'name': 'Puerto Rico Department of Justice',
'type': 'State Government'},
{'customers_affected': '130,000 residents',
'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'Abilene, Texas, USA',
'name': 'City of Abilene',
'size': '130,000 residents',
'type': 'Municipal Government'},
{'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'Cleveland, Ohio, USA',
'name': 'Cleveland Municipal Court',
'type': 'Municipal Government'},
{'customers_affected': '500,000+ current and former '
'residents',
'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'Columbus, Ohio, USA',
'name': 'City of Columbus',
'size': '500,000+ current and former residents',
'type': 'Municipal Government'}],
'customer_advisories': ['Social media updates', 'Public notices'],
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'Yes (Ransomware)',
'data_exfiltration': '477 GB (Abilene, TX)',
'number_of_records_exposed': '500,000+ (Columbus, OH)',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally identifiable '
'information',
'Criminal records']},
'description': 'Cybercriminals targeted government systems in Ohio, Oklahoma, '
'and Puerto Rico over the past week, limiting critical '
'services for thousands. The city of Durant, Oklahoma, was hit '
'with ransomware, causing its website to go down and impacting '
'digital and credit card payments. Lorain County, Ohio, '
'experienced a network security incident knocking dozens of '
"government systems offline, while Puerto Rico's Justice "
'Department reported a cyberattack affecting the Criminal '
'Justice Information Office.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': '477 GB of data (Abilene, TX)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'Exposure of information of over 500,000 '
'residents (Columbus, OH)',
'operational_impact': 'Extended wait times for emergency services, '
'court closures, temporary suspension of '
'services',
'systems_affected': ['websites',
'digital and credit card payments',
'court systems',
'criminal record certificate issuance']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Replacing network '
'infrastructure (Abilene)']},
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'Yes',
'data_exfiltration': 'Yes (477 GB, Abilene)',
'ransom_paid': 'No (Abilene)',
'ransomware_strain': 'RansomHub'},
'references': [{'source': 'City of Durant Facebook'},
{'source': 'Lorain County Social Media Warnings'},
{'source': 'Puerto Rico Justice Department Statement'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Social media updates',
'Public advisories'],
'containment_measures': ['Systems taken offline',
'Protocols initiated to contain the '
'attack'],
'law_enforcement_notified': 'Yes (Durant)',
'remediation_measures': ['Replacing network infrastructure '
'(Abilene)'],
'third_party_assistance': 'Cybersecurity experts (Lorain '
'County)'},
'threat_actor': 'RansomHub ransomware gang',
'title': 'Ransomware Attacks on Government Systems in Ohio, Oklahoma, and '
'Puerto Rico',
'type': 'Ransomware'}