Virus fix underway for county devices

Miller offices’ computers restored

TEXARKANA — A recently deployed computer virus that crippled Miller County is gradually being removed from the government devices.

County Judge Cathy Harrison said Sunday that internet technology teams sent by Apprentice Information Systems are starting to bring the county’s systems back online at the courthouse. AIS, based in Rogers, Ark., manages the county’s computer servers.

As of Sunday afternoon, Harrison said at least a couple of computers in the tax collector and treasurer office were back up. Two computers in the county clerk office were unaffected by the hack .

The full restoration could take two weeks, Harrison said.

The virus hit Miller and 54 other Arkansas counties about Nov. 7, but no sensitive information was exposed in the attack.

Harrison earlier described the hack as a type of “electronic bomb.”

“AIS’s mainframe wasn’t affected, but the many thousands of small bombs released did make their way through to cause most of the state’s county computer damage,” she said last week.

The county judge, tax collector, tax assessor and treasurer offices were affected. Office staff had to make “old-fashioned, handwritten” receipts for county business, Harrison said.

As for county finances, Harrison said county officials plan to meet sometime next month to iron out the 2023 budget.