Anne Arundel County Faces Second Cyberattack in 18 Months

• •Rhysida ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the August 2026 breach.
• •No disruption to county operations reported; no evidence of fraud from stolen files.
• •County officials will notify affected individuals from a previous 2025 attack starting October 19.

Anne Arundel County, Maryland, confirmed a data breach on August 28, 2026, where hackers accessed and copied files from a limited number of government systems. The Rhysida ransomware gang claimed responsibility, threatening to leak 2.6 terabytes of documents unless a $2 million ransom is paid. County officials stated that the breach did not disrupt operations and there is no indication that the stolen files have been used for fraud or identity theft. Investigations are ongoing to determine the specific contents of the copied files and whether they include personal information of residents. This incident follows a more severe ransomware attack in early 2025, which compromised health records and forced the closure of county operations. Notifications to affected individuals from the previous attack are set to begin on October 19, 2026. The county has notified federal law enforcement and is coordinating its response with investigators.