Hamilton County, Tennessee Sheriff's Office Restores Services After Ransomware Attack
On April 14, 2025, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted multiple public-facing services, including mugshot access, press releases, warrant searches, and the department’s public tip line. In response, HCSO’s Information Technology team quickly shut down the network to protect sensitive records and launched an investigation with an external cyber defense firm. As of April 29, Sheriff Austin Garrett announced that all public programs are back online, while internal systems are expected to be fully restored later this week.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office continues to collaborate with cybersecurity experts to investigate the source of the breach and to strengthen its systems against future threats. Sheriff Garrett emphasized the department’s commitment to transparency, noting that more detailed information will be shared later this week. The incident follows a troubling pattern of ransomware attacks targeting public institutions across Tennessee, including recent breaches at Rutherford County Schools and Southwest Tennessee Community College, highlighting the increasing need for robust cybersecurity defenses across the state's public sector.