Politics & Government
Maryland Property Search Tool Goes Offline After Cyber Threat
The database includes information about all property holdings in the state, including the names of owners and details about previous sales.
April 21, 2026
Maryland’s online property records database has been taken offline following a cybersecurity threat, according to a statement from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.
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State officials believe that compromised systems only included public records that users could already find on the SDAT property search webpage, according to the news release, issued Saturday.
The database includes information about all property holdings in the state, including the names of owners and details about previous sales.
Find out what's happening in Across Marylandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
State information technology officials noticed “suspicious activity” on servers running the property database last Tuesday, and “quickly” took the website down to “contain potential threats and conduct an investigation,” according to the news release.
The state’s Department of Information Technology “does not anticipate a broader cybersecurity risk to the state at this time,” according to the release, though an internal investigation is ongoing.
Even though they see no immediate threat, state officials were encouraging residents to use cybersecurity best practices, such as changing passwords, updating software, recognizing phishing scams and using security protocols like two-factor authentication.
It isn’t clear precisely when the database went offline, but it remained offline as of Monday afternoon, replaced by a notice stating that the site is “undergoing emergency maintenance.” Officials did not immediately provide an expected date for the site’s return.
In the meantime, state officials are urging Marylanders not to use third-party websites to search for property information. Those wishing to access their records while the website is unavailable must contact their county’s property assessment office.
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