Traverse City, Mich., Still Grappling With Ransomware Fallout

(TNS) — After last week’s ransomware attack shut down the main network for Grand Traverse County and Traverse City operations, staff members are continuing to implement “creative workarounds” to get government work done.

Their common goal is to conduct as much regular business as possible without the use of key computer resources.

Some departments are more affected than others.

For example, the county court system shut down most of its operations for two days. Staff members used that time to brainstorm interim solutions, working in concert with other county and court employees.

“We gathered together to determine what functions we could and couldn’t do,” said Gwen Taylor, 86th district court administrator.

While the court opened to the public Monday, Taylor said, it was still dealing with limited service availability.

“We are holding court [and] resumed our dockets on the 17th,” she said, adding that current procedures are changing, day by day, and require a lot of “outside-the-box” thinking.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 13th Circuit Court released a statement from Judge Charles Hamlyn, who said while all “essential functions” are open, some court systems are still not operational.

“The two greatest impacts are to our docketing/scheduling system and to our file management system,” Hamlyn said. “We do not have access to case files and parties are not able to file documents using the electronic filing system.”

Since the court’s file management system has been compromised, judges cannot access files in that system to look up any particular case: “We have had to cancel hearings because, while we can conduct a court hearing, let’s say it’s for a motion, I wouldn’t be able to pull up that motion to prepare for the hearing.”

In the meantime, Hamlyn said, “Emergency filings, personal protection order petitions and similar types of documents can be filed in-person at the court clerk’s office.”

Hamlyn added, “all constitutional rights are being provided. We can conduct court hearings, we can do arraignments, anything like that.”

Court officials are hoping to have systems up and running by next week.

“If we have to cancel some hearings…