Daniel Prince
Cyber attack on Cott Systems caused them to take down servers, affecting online deed searches
Clerk of Court Melanie Lawson wants the public to be aware that the online deed search is down. This is due to a cyberattack last month against records vendor Cott Systems, which supplies professional services and cloud-based software for managing data and automating workflows related to vital government records. As a result of the attack, Cott had to unplug its servers. Lawson stated that her office is still taking filings in person or by mail. If you have questions or concerns, you can call her office at 429-1630. According to its website, Cott serves over 300 local governments across 21 states. There is no ETA on when the issue will be resolved. Cott is working with the FBI and Homeland Security to investigate the cyberattack, which happened back on Christmas Day.
Cott Systems sent out a notice to its customers that they had identified some unusual activity on their servers on December 26. They disconnected all of their servers to isolate the activity and then engaged cyber specialists to investigate and begin a forensic analysis. The FBI and Homeland Security have said they are aware of and have been investigating this particular group of criminals who operate worldwide. Work is continuing to securely rebuild processes and restore functionality. Cott notes that there are many steps involved in the recovery from this cyberattack, and they are unable to give a date when full functionality will be restored. They are sending daily updates to their customers.