Anne Arundel County Health Data Compromised in Ransomware Attack, Officials Admit Months Later

Anne Arundel County, Maryland officials confirmed that a cyber incident between January 28 and February 22 was actually a ransomware attack that compromised health department files containing residents' names, addresses, and medical diagnoses. The county closed government buildings on February 22 but restored operations within days. Officials are still investigating the full scope with technical consultants, expecting the process to take months before contacting affected residents. County Executive Steuart Pittman acknowledged years of IT infrastructure neglect and proposed $4.3 million in additional technology spending for fiscal 2026 to prevent future attacks.