****UPDATE: Orange County provided residents with an update Tuesday afternoon.****
Orange County computers were shut down for most of Monday after being hit by an encryption virus.
County officials detected the virus on the countywide network, leading them to shut down all internal servers, according to a release Monday evening.
“The county IT department is working to identify the source of the virus and has engaged the help of outside cyber-security experts to restore services as soon as possible,” officials said.
County employees cannot send or receive emails, as of Monday evening. Many services, online and in-person, are unavailable, including the following:
- Public WiFi at all Orange County facilities
- Public computers at Orange County Main Library
- Online reservations for Orange County facilities as well as classes or programs for DEAPR and Department of Aging. Residents can register in person for classes and programs or to reserve facilities but staff will not be able to verify if space is available until computer access is restored.
- Register of Deeds cannot process real estate closings or issue marriage licenses. A marriage license can be obtained from a Register in another county.
- Housing cannot process any vouchers.
- The Tax Office can not verify tax bills to determine amount owed. Appraisal services are also curtailed.
- Planning Department cannot process fees or close out permits.
- Some pet adoptions in Animal Services may be delayed.
- The Health Department clinics are operating as normal, but services may be impacted if the disruption lasts for more than a few days.
This post will be updated with information as the county provides updates.
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