St. Joseph County says a reported data breach tied to a hacker group did not originate within county systems.
At a press conference Thursday at the County-City Building in downtown South Bend, administrators said the investigation remains ongoing, limiting what details can be released publicly.
The response comes after a hacker group claimed it had accessed county data.
St. Joseph County Assessor Mike Castellon addressed concerns about records maintained by his office.
“I want to assure all residents that no data from the St. Joseph County Assessor's Office has been compromised,” Castellon said.
County Commissioner Carl Baxmeyer said the breach appears to involve a third-party fax system used by some departments.
He said the system operates outside the county’s firewall and internal network, which is why officials believe county systems were not directly breached.
Chief Information Officer Richard Warfield, who is leading the investigation, said coordination is underway with multiple agencies.
“We have been in contact with the federal government, the state, SISA, and all the other appropriate places to contact right now,” Warfield said.
Baxmeyer said anyone who finds personal information posted online should report it to their county commissioner.
The investigation remains ongoing.
