Website, communications restored, following Chelan County internet hack
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Patience has paid off, as the Chelan County website was restored Tuesday, several weeks after the internet and phone network went down following a hack by bad actors.
"Our county websites are back online," the county shared on social media.
"Folks can contact us through email now, our phones are up," said the county’s Jill Fitzsimmons. "And IT (Information Technology department) just continues to work on getting us whole again."
"It's frustrating when you can't talk to the public, it really is," exclaimed Fitzsimmons, when asked about the toll the internet hack had on county commissioners and staff.
It may be weeks before thee county makes findings on the illegal internet hack that caused the weeks-long disruption.
A county online Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool has not been restored yet; however, we've created a basic version where you can search by parcel number, owner and address.
Chelan County’s recording systems are back online on a limited basis following a system-wide failure that occurred over the Memorial Day weekend.
“I know many people and businesses depend on our ability to record a variety of legal documents, including marriage licenses, deeds, mortgages, real estate contracts and liens,” said Acting Auditor Brandt Cappell. “I am grateful for the outstanding work of our IT team, which has restored our core system functions.”
The Auditor’s Office is again accepting marriage license applications. People planning to apply are strongly encouraged to complete the online “pre-application” in advance to help save time when visiting the office.
While normal recording operations have partially resumed, e-recording is currently operating on a limited basis. Cappell asks for patience from title companies, attorneys and the public as staff work through the backlog of both electronic and physical documents.
“Please keep in mind we have multiple weeks of documents to record while still managing day-to-day operations,” he said. “My staff is prioritizing the processing of all submissions while continuing to balance other duties, including vehicle and vessel registrations and title changes.”