Wisconsin’s Iowa County Reacting to Cyber Incident Amid Growing Threats to Local Governments
Iowa County, Wisconsin, is investigating a cybersecurity incident after suspicious activity was detected on its government network on April 28, 2025. In response, county officials immediately took portions of the network offline, citing an abundance of caution. While emergency services—including 911 and law enforcement dispatch—remain fully operational, non-emergency services such as permitting, records access, and general administration may experience disruptions. The nature of the attack has not been disclosed, and no actor has claimed responsibility. Cybersecurity experts are assisting the county in assessing the source and scope of the incident, with updates being issued through the administration.
The incident took place in southwestern Wisconsin, where Iowa County serves about 23,000 residents across predominantly rural areas and small towns. The county seat, Dodgeville, hosts the administrative offices that manage public health, zoning, courts, emergency management, and digital records systems. County officials have not provided a timeline for restoring affected systems, though emergency functions remain intact. Like many rural jurisdictions, Iowa County operates with limited IT staff and aging infrastructure, factors that can heighten susceptibility to cyber threats.
Iowa County’s experience adds to a broader trend of cyberattacks targeting local governments across the U.S. On the same day, DuPage County, Illinois, reported a ransomware attack that paralyzed court and sheriff systems, and in April, Tennessee’s Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office faced similar disruptions. These cases underscore the persistent cyber risk to under-resourced local agencies and highlight the growing need for federal-local coordination and investment in cybersecurity resilience.