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Winona County, Minnesota says Social Security numbers were among the data categories that may have been involved in its January 2026 ransomware incident. The county has not said every notified person’s Social Security number was taken, and it has not published a total count of affected people. Letters describing the incident began mailing on May 12, 2026.
What happened in the January 2026 incident
The county detected ransomware on its computer network on January 22, 2026. Its investigation found unauthorized access between January 18 and January 22, during which cybercriminals took certain data from the network. The county says it secured and restored the network, then reviewed what information was involved and who might have been affected. That review was completed on April 16, 2026.
| Date (2026) | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 18–22 | Unauthorized access to the county network; data taken during this window | Winona County notice, May 12, 2026 |
| January 22 | County detects ransomware on its computer network | Winona County notice, May 12, 2026 |
| January 23 | County press release says emergency services, including 911, fire, and emergency response, remained operational | Winona County press release, January 23, 2026 |
| April 16 | County completes its review of the January incident | Winona County notice, May 12, 2026 |
| May 12 | Notification letters begin mailing; notice posted for people the county lacked sufficient contact information to reach | Winona County notice, May 12, 2026 |
| August 12 | Enrollment deadline for the complimentary monitoring offer in the sample letter (now passed) | Massachusetts regulatory filing reproducing the sample letter |
The county says it notified federal law enforcement and appropriate state agencies and is cooperating with the FBI investigation.
What information may have been involved
The county’s notice lists the following categories as potentially involved:
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- Name and address
- Social Security number
- Driver’s license or state identification card number
- Medical information
- Information included in law-enforcement reports
- Financial account information
- A PMI Number
A small number of individuals also had payment card details affected, including the CVV and expiration date, and/or online account name and password information. The notice does not say that every person was affected by every category. Whether your Social Security number was involved depends on what your individual letter states.
How to tell whether you were affected
The county says it mailed letters to people it identified as impacted. For people it could not reach by mail because it lacked sufficient contact information, it posted the notice publicly. The reviewed notice does not provide a searchable list of names, so there is no public lookup that confirms whether a specific person was included.
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- If you received a letter, read the section that lists which data types were involved for you.
- If you have not received a letter, the county’s notice and its telephone contact are the authoritative channels. Ask whether your information was in the affected set before taking any steps that depend on it.
The complimentary monitoring offer
The notice says people whose Social Security number or driver’s license number was impacted would receive an offer of complimentary credit monitoring and related services. A Massachusetts regulatory filing reproducing the sample letter gives an enrollment deadline of August 12, 2026. That date has passed, so the offer described in that letter cannot be assumed to be open today. If you think you qualified, call the county’s contact number listed in the notice and ask whether any enrollment window remains or whether another option is available.
What to do now
The county recommends that people remain alert for fraud and identity theft, review account statements and free credit reports for suspicious activity, and consider placing a fraud alert. These are three different tools with different effects:
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- Fraud alert: a request that creditors take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new credit. It does not freeze your file.
- Credit report review: reading your reports to spot accounts, addresses, or inquiries you do not recognize. This is the fastest way to detect misuse.
- Security freeze: a restriction that generally prevents new creditors from accessing your report unless you lift it. The county says a freeze is available at no cost.
To place a security freeze, follow the county notice’s section on written requests. It includes specific information and documentation requirements, so use the notice and the instructions from each of the three national credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) rather than a shortened summary. The county’s notice states: “You have the ability to place a security freeze on your credit report at no cost to you.”
Keep the April 2026 attack separate
The county faced a second, separate ransomware incident that it detected on April 7, 2026. A county update reported by WEAU on April 24, 2026 said systems had been securely restored and offices were expected to resume close to full operations. Local reporting from WIZM dated August 28, 2026 said the investigation into the April attack was still ongoing at that time.
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The May notice concerns only the January incident and says a separate notice would follow for the April attack. Do not assume that January data categories apply to the April attack. Until the county issues an authoritative notice for April, the exposure from that incident is not established.
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Reported ransom payment
WIZM reported on August 28, 2026 that Winona County paid $128,539.57 in connection with ransomware incidents. The May breach notice does not state this figure, and the report does not make clear whether the payment relates only to the January attack, only to April, or to both. Treat the amount as local media reporting, not as a confirmed county disclosure.
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What is still unknown
- The total number of people affected by the January incident. The reviewed notice does not give a count, and no estimate should be treated as official.
- The final scope of the April incident and whether any personal data was involved.
- Whether the monitoring enrollment window in the sample letter remains open for any individual.
For current information, contact Winona County directly using the telephone number in its May 2026 notice.
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