NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Sheriff's Office told 13News Now they were targeted in a cybersecurity attack.
Sheriff Joseph "Joe" Baron said their internal IT department was made aware of "suspicious activity" in their system.
"We immediately acted and engaged outside cybersecurity experts who confirmed we were the victim of a cybersecurity event," Baron said. "This is, unfortunately, an increasingly common threat to law enforcement agencies, and we are thankful for our team’s quick action to stop the incident."
Baron said the incident does not impact security in any way.
"This is an isolated issue that impacts our records and other operational systems," he said. "Our jail’s physical security, including doors, camera systems, and other vital checkpoints, is managed on a separate network that was not impacted by this cyber incident."
What is impacted, he said, includes their records system, including the Inmate Lookup Tool on their website.
"We are working vigilantly around the clock to determine the complete scope of the incident and make repairs to our IT systems," Baron said. "We are also working closely with our colleagues in the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Division, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Cyber Fusion Center of the Virginia State Police."
