COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia cybersecurity skilled says pc hackers have posted confidential info swiped in a March ransomware assault on the Cobb County authorities. The federal government says the thieves have demanded a ransom and set a Friday deadline for Cobb to pay it.
On the time, Cobb County authorities downplayed its affect. On Friday, the county issued a press release, partially:
“Upon discovering the intrusion, we instantly adopted established protocols, took our programs offline, and restored operations shortly thereafter. A 3rd social gathering issued a ransom demand, which we declined. We refuse to assist or allow legal enterprises, even when confronted with tough selections. Whereas we perceive this will likely provide restricted consolation to these affected, standing agency sends a transparent message: dangerous actors is not going to revenue from this crime.”
Rick Hudson of Crucial Path Safety stated the hackers stated pictures posted on “the darkish internet” seem to incorporate confidential info and photographs regarding Cobb County’s public providers and about some Cobb County residents or clients.
“They’ve printed post-mortem photographs. They’ve printed social safety numbers, drivers’ footage. They’ve printed subsequent of kin contact info. They’ve printed individuals’s names and addresses and different such knowledge that you’d anticipate in an information breach,” Hudson stated.
Hudson says the cyberattacker is related to Qilin, described on-line as a Russian-speaking legal enterprise.
Cobb County initially stated that the assault was restricted, slowing down electronic mail and a few county providers and affecting a couple of people.
In its assertion, Cobb County stated its investigation is ongoing. “We’ll proceed to inform any extra affected people as essential. If we decide that particular private info is in danger, Cobb County will present these people with credit score monitoring and identification theft safety.”
Hudson says Qilin seems to be demanding a ransom of no less than $1 million, and has been identified to demand subsequent ransoms after an preliminary one is paid.
