ABC6 reports:
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority said Thursday it paid hackers $170,000 in ransom money after a massive data breach in August.
The hack exposed the names, birth dates, and social security numbers of thousands of state employees, some of which didn’t even work for the agency.
Read more at ABC6.
The incident, which affected 22,000 people, has resulted in legislators looking to increase requirements for data security and disclosure. It has also resulted in a state attorney general’s investigation as to why UnitedHealthcare data on people who weren’t RIPTA employees were sent to RIPTA and how RIPTA responded — or failed to.