Cashmere reviews cybersecurity practices after county ransomware attack
Cashmere reviews cybersecurity practices after county ransomware attack
Publish Date: 2026-06-25 17:05:00
Source Domain: cashmerevalleyrecord.com
By ANDREW SIMPSON
Ward Media Staff Reporter
CASHMERE — In the weeks following the ransomware attack that disrupted Chelan County operations, Cashmere officials are taking a closer look at cybersecurity awareness, employee training and internal procedures in hopes of avoiding a similar situation.
The discussion emerged during a June 22 City Council meeting, where staff and council members reflected on lessons learned from the county’s ongoing recovery efforts and the growing threat of cybercrime facing local governments.
City Clerk-Treasurer Elizabeth Martinez said she has been researching fraud-awareness and cybersecurity training opportunities for city employees while reviewing internal procedures and speaking with colleagues about recent incidents.
One topic discussed during the meeting was the importance of recognizing potential threats before they become larger problems.
Councilmember Jeff Johnson said the main lesson he has taken from the Chelan County attack is the need to investigate suspicious activity early, even when the full scope of a threat is not immediately apparent.
“There’s one lesson learned,” Johnson said. “I don’t know a ton about the situation, but my understanding is that the hacking attempt — and success, for that matter — happened weeks, if not a month, before they actually pushed the button and made [the destructive effects] happen.”
Johnson said the attack appeared to demonstrate how cyber intrusions can remain undetected or underestimated until significant damage has already occurred.
“The lesson is the county was aware that it happened at the time, but they didn’t realize the magnitude of it,” he said. “So it’s one of those things, if anybody is aware of a potential hack, it ought to be recorded and addressed at that time.”
Martinez shared examples from her auditing experience and from her time with the city, noting that many cyber-related incidents begin with routine communications…
