The city of Columbus, Ohio has been targeted by a major cyberattack, leaving city servers disrupted and potentially compromising sensitive data.
City Servers Down, Data Potentially Compromised
The attack, believed to be orchestrated by the ransomware group Rhysida, has caused significant damage to the city’s IT infrastructure. While officials were able to prevent encryption of data, they believe some information may have been accessed.
“We’ve been hit hard by this cyberattack,” said LaShanna Potts, First Assistant Chief of the Columbus Division of Police. “It was designed to disrupt our systems, and while we stopped them from locking our data, we’re concerned that some of it may have been stolen.”
Police Officers Report Identity Theft
Adding to the chaos, members of the Columbus Police Department are reporting cases of identity theft.
“Guys are saying their credit cards have been hacked, their bank accounts are being messed with, and even some are saying people are trying to open credit lines in their names,” said Brian Steel, head of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9. “It’s a mess.”
Rhysida Claims Responsibility, Offers Stolen Data for Sale
Rhysida, the group allegedly behind the attack, has claimed responsibility and is reportedly selling over 6.5 terabytes of stolen data on the dark web. The attack was first detected on July 18th.
An investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the damage and whether the identity theft cases are connected to the city-wide breach.
