Edisto Beach, South Carolina, officials said Thursday they are investigating a potential cybersecurity incident involving the town’s email system and have hired outside specialists, but are releasing few details while federal authorities investigate.
In a public notice dated Jan. 22, the town said it identified a “potential cybersecurity incident” in its email environment and reported it to local, state and federal law enforcement.
The town said it retained independent cybersecurity specialists to conduct a forensic investigation. Officials said they would not release additional information while the matter remains an active federal investigation, and that any update would come after the forensic work is completed and in coordination with law enforcement.
The notice did not say whether email services are disrupted, whether messages or accounts were accessed, or whether resident or employee information may have been exposed. As of Friday, Jan. 23, the town’s website did not display a public outage alert, and information for bill payments and public-safety contacts remained posted.
Federal investigators have warned that compromised email accounts can be used to impersonate trusted senders and redirect payments or solicit sensitive information. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has reported more than $55 billion in exposed losses tied to business email compromise and email account compromise schemes since 2013.
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Edisto Beach is a small coastal town in Colleton County with an estimated population of 987, according to recent census survey data, and town police say visitor numbers swell during peak season.
The incident comes as South Carolina public agencies have reported other cyber disruptions in recent months, including investigations in Dillon County and Spartanburg County in 2025, and a 2025 incident in Lexington-Richland School District Five that delayed employee retention bonuses.
The town did not respond to a request for comment.
