Ellis County is notifying residents that the county experienced a ransomware incident affecting portions of its information technology systems.
Ellis County officials became aware of the incident early this morning, September 17th, 2026, and immediately took steps to contain the disruption, including isolating affected systems and engaging cybersecurity specialists to assist with the investigation and recovery.
At this time, there is no evidence of personal or sensitive information being accessed or obtained. The investigation remains ongoing, and the county will provide additional information when it can do so without compromising the investigation or system security.
The community shall not see any disruptions from any 911 or Emergency Public Safety agency response.
Some county services may currently be unavailable, delayed, or operating under temporary procedures over the coming days or weeks. Residents who need county services are encouraged to contact the department they need to conduct business with for the latest information regarding their service availability.
Ellis County is working with our cybersecurity partners, local law enforcement, the Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, to determine the scope and cause of the incident and restore affected systems safely.
Residents do not need to take any action at this time unless otherwise notified directly by the county.
There is no current evidence of any person, business, or agency outside the Ellis County government included in this incident. However, please use caution when reviewing any emails from ellisco.net.
If the investigation determines personal information was involved, the county will provide appropriate notifications and guidance in accordance with applicable requirements.
We understand that disruptions to county services can be frustrating and that residents may have questions about this incident. Our priority is to contain the incident, restoring services securely, and keeping the public informed as we learn more.