A network security incident in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, temporarily blocked county dispatchers from accessing state criminal-data systems as other county systems remained offline Wednesday.
The software provides driving information, criminal records and active warrant information, Patch reported. When it became unavailable, the county obtained information through other departments as a workaround; Concord police were unaffected.
Patch first learned of the disruption Tuesday afternoon when a county dispatcher notified officers in several jurisdictions. Nearly 20 law enforcement departments rely on a dozen county dispatchers working two radio channels that serve communities east and west of the Merrimack River.
County Administrator Ross Cunningham confirmed the network security incident Wednesday. He said the county was working with cybersecurity and other outside specialists and that resolving the problems could take several days.
Some affected systems had been restored by Wednesday, while the county kept others offline as a precaution. Officials said the shutdown could limit services but did not identify every affected system or county function.
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The incident disrupted access to information used by law enforcement officers, but Patch did not report an interruption to 911 call taking, police response or other emergency services.
Merrimack County has not disclosed what caused the incident or whether information was accessed. County officials have not said whether ransomware was involved, disclosed a ransom demand or identified a responsible actor. Cunningham said protecting the security and privacy of personal information was a priority, but the statement did not confirm a data breach.
The incident follows other cyber disruptions involving New Hampshire local governments. Hillsborough County took systems offline during a 2025 cybersecurity investigation, though public safety and emergency services remained available.
Cunningham said the county would issue public updates. As of Wednesday evening, the county’s website carried no incident notice, and the county had not responded to DysruptionHub’s request for comment.
