Ransomware gang Interlock today took credit for an cyber attack earlier this month on the local government of Box Elder County, Utah.
The county announced it was hit by the attack on August 6, 2025. It said some county services were disrupted.
To prove its claim, Interlock posted sample images of what it says are documents stolen from Box Elder County. Interlock says it stole 4.5 TB of data, or about 2.1 million files.
Box Elder County has not verified Interlock’s claim. We do not know if the county paid a ransom, how much Interlock demanded, what data was compromised, or how attackers breached Box Elder County’s network. Comparitech contacted county officials for comment and will update this article if they reply.
As of the county’s latest announcement, an investigation into the attack is still underway.
“Box Elder County has recently experienced a cybersecurity incident that has impacted some of the systems within our network,” says the county’s August 6 notice. “Box Elder County residents may experience some temporary disruptions with some county services.”
The announcement specifies that election processes and equipment were not impacted by the attack.
Who is Interlock?
Interlock is a ransomware gang that first started adding targets to its leak site in October 2024. The group extorts targets both to unlock infected computer systems and to not sell or release stolen data.
Interlock has claimed 25 confirmed ransomware attacks in total, compromising nearly 2.6 million records. It also made 57 unconfirmed attack claims that haven’t been publicly acknowledged by the targeted organizations.
The group recently made a high profile claim saying it hacked the city of St. Paul, Minnesota. Interlock’s attacks on local governments include:
- Wayne County, MI reported and October 2024 data breach
- Noblesville, IN notified 1,831 people of an October 2024 data breach
- West Lothian Council, Scotland reported a May 2024 data breach
Ransomware attacks on US government
Comparitech researchers have logged 47 confirmed ransomware attacks on US government entities so far this year. In addition to those listed above, the following attacks were claimed by ransomware gangs in June 2025:
- Durant, OK reported a data breach claimed by Inc
- Mower County, MN reported a ransomware attack by unknown hackers
- Taos County, MI reported a data breach claimed by Kairos
- Green River, WY reported a data breach claimed by Qilin
- Thomasville, NC reported a data breach claimed by Inc
- Albemarle County, VA reported a data breach claimed by Inc
Ransomware attacks on government entities can both steal data and lock down computer systems. The infected agency or department must pay a ransom to restore systems and for the ransomware gang to not release or sell stolen data. If the organization refuses, it faces extended downtime, permanent data loss, and putting data subjects at increased risk of fraud.
About Box Elder County
Box Elder County is home to about 60,000 people in the northwest corner of Utah. Brigham City is the county seat and largest city in the county.
