A potential security breach involving a third-party vendor has forced the Trumbull County, Ohio, recorder's office to suspend e-filings and shut down online access to public records while officials investigate.
Trumbull County officials said late last week they were notified of a potential security breach affecting a third-party vendor that supports a small set of county services. The county alerted state authorities and brought in outside security firms to review the situation.
As of Monday afternoon, the issue is still disrupting the recorder's office in Warren. The office has suspended all e-filings and shut off online access to the county recorder's public information, directing residents to file documents in person with limited services available.
Recorder Dawn Zinni said in a news release that the Trumbull County auditor and the county IT department are “working diligently to resolve the situation,” according to local station WFMJ. Officials have not provided a timetable for restoring normal operations.
Auditor Martha Yoder’s office previously said it had notified the state of the potential issue and was working with several security vendors to determine whether any Trumbull County data systems were affected, WFMJ reported. The county has not named the vendor involved or described what types of data might be at risk.
The county’s online land records search runs on a PAXWorld public access platform provided by Ohio-based vendor Document Technology Systems, which has managed Trumbull County’s digitized property records for years. DTS, based in Cuyahoga Falls, provides land records software to county recorders in several states, including Allen, Lorain and Licking counties in Ohio and New Castle County, Delaware. County officials have not identified that vendor by name in connection with the current security incident, and there is no public indication that DTS systems in other jurisdictions have been affected.
For now, the impact on county services appears concentrated on land and property records. Attorneys, title companies and residents who rely on the recorder’s e-recording system must complete any eligible filings in person at the courthouse, increasing the potential for delays in real estate transactions.
Officials have not said whether any personal or financial information tied to deeds, mortgages or other land records has been accessed or exfiltrated. The county has not announced any notification or credit monitoring program, and there is no public indication that systems have been encrypted or held for ransom.
The incident comes as Trumbull County is under growing pressure to strengthen its cybersecurity. In September, Yoder told county commissioners that a new Ohio law, House Bill 96, requires counties to create cybersecurity programs, train staff and develop incident response plans for threats such as ransomware.
Earlier this year, a Trumbull County judge ordered Yoder to repay more than $80,000 to Bazetta Township after a 2024 cyberattack on the township’s fiscal officer email led tax funds to be routed to a fraudulent account, according to WKBN reporting.
Trumbull County sits in northeast Ohio and has about 200,000 residents, with Warren as its county seat. The recorder's office maintains deeds, mortgages and other property documents that underpin local real estate transactions and land records.
Officials say they will provide additional updates as more is known about the vendor incident and any impact on county systems or data. Under Ohio’s new cybersecurity requirements, confirmed cyber incidents must be reported to the state and backed by tested backup and recovery plans.
