Modesto has confirmed that the Feb. 3 security breach of its Police Department’s digital network was a ransomware attack and said that a number of people’s personal information, including Social Security and driver’s license numbers, may have been accessed.
“Beginning (this) week, the City of Modesto will begin notifying individuals via U.S. mail that may have been impacted by this unauthorized access and provide them with complimentary credit monitoring services,” a city news release said.
The release says the city’s investigation “determined that a limited amount of information was accessed during this incident.”
City spokesman Andrew Gonzales declined to say how many people may have had their personal information accessed, whether they work for the city or are members of the public, how the ransomware accessed the Police Department’s network, and many other details. Gonzales repeated what the city had said previously, that the incident never put the public at risk or disrupted the city’s ability to provide services, including responding to 911 calls.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that hackers use to infect and hobble a computer or computer network until a ransom is paid or other demands are met. Gonzales said Modesto did not pay a ransom but declined to say the amount or nature of the ransom.
He said Modesto disconnected its Police Department’s digital network from the rest of the city’s network. He said that only the Police Department’s network was affected by the incident. He confirmed that Modesto noticed the suspicious activity on the Police Department’s network on Feb. 3.
The city confirmed that it had detected suspicious activity on its digital network on Feb. 8. Gonzales said it had not been disclosed earlier, citing the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
The Bee reported Feb. 9 that the Police Department had been the victim of ransomware. The attack meant the laptops in patrol vehicles did not work along with other information technology.
Modesto worked with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement in dealing with this attack. Gonzales declined to name them.
The news release states that because of the city’s preparation for such an event as well as the quick response of the city’s IT staff, it was able to contain the threat in a short amount of time.
(c)2023 The Modesto Bee (Modesto). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
