Cyber Incident Disrupts Email Services in Liberty Township, Ohio

Liberty Township in Butler County, Ohio, is investigating a cyber incident that disrupted township email systems on May 5. The issue was discovered Monday morning when staff had difficulty accessing email, prompting officials to take steps to minimize operational impacts. Township Administrator Caroline McKinney said the public is encouraged to contact township offices by phone while email services remain unavailable. The website, social media, development portals, and phone systems are still functioning. As of May 12, it is unclear whether the disruption is ongoing.

The township has hired outside consultants to help determine the cause and scope of the incident. Officials said the administration office remains open for business and that voicemail systems are operational, though prompts may sound different during this period. The sheriff’s substation, which is housed in the same building but operates on a separate IT system, has not been affected. Officials emphasized that there is no evidence that residents’ personal information has been compromised, but declined to provide further technical details or a timeline for full restoration.

The Liberty Township incident follows a string of cyberattacks targeting local governments in recent weeks. Similar disruptions have impacted court and law enforcement systems in DuPage County, Illinois; Hamilton County, Tennessee; and Iowa County, Wisconsin. In several cases, ransomware was used to disable networks and force temporary shutdowns of public services. These incidents underscore the growing threat faced by municipal agencies, many of which operate with limited cybersecurity resources.