AP reports: A Connecticut city has paid USD 2,000 to restore access to its computer system after a ransomware attack. West Haven officials said Thursday they paid the money to anonymous attackers through the digital currency bitcoin to unlock 23 servers and restore access to city data. Read more on Deccan Chronicle.
Category: Government Sector
Hackers breach HealthCare.gov system, get data on 75,000
Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports: A government computer system that interacts with HealthCare.gov was hacked earlier this month, compromising the sensitive personal data of some 75,000 people, officials said Friday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made the announcement late in the afternoon ahead of a weekend, a time slot agencies often use to release unfavorable…
State officials grill Minnesota DHS over two breaches
KSTP reports: On Wednesday, state leaders addressed two recent data breaches at the Department of Human Services. […] “Could you please try and help us connect why there was such a failure here of four months before folks were notified of the compromising situation of their private data?” asked Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, (R) Big Lake….
Hackers hit Onslow County utility with ransomware attack
WNCT reports: The Onslow Water and Sewer Authority‘s internal computer system, including servers and personal computers, was hit by a ransomware attack Saturday. […] ONWASA began experiencing persistent virus attacks from a polymorphic malware known as EMOTET on October 4…….. At what ONWASA officials said may have been a timed event, the malware launched a…
Former Hassan staffer accused of breaking into office, leaking info
Breanna Edelstein reports: Sen. Maggie Hassan’s former staffer Jackson Cosko is facing up to 50 years in federal prison amid accusations that he recently broke into the New Hampshire Democrat’s Washington office, leaked lawmakers’ personal information and threatened to do the same to others. Investigators said they were alerted to the 27-year-old’s alleged criminal activity after he used…
Pentagon reveals cyber breach of travel records
Lolita C. Baldor reports: The Pentagon on Friday said there has been a cyber breach of Defense Department travel records that compromised the personal information and credit card data of U.S. military and civilian personnel. According to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, the breach could have affected as many as 30,000 workers, but…