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Jackson Township hit by digital security ‘incident.’ No personal data accessed

July 7, 2023/in Computer Security

JACKSON TWP. ‒ The township government has been hit by an unspecified computer network “incident” that’s been affecting the function of multiple systems.

Administrator and Law Director Mike Vaccaro said in a prepared statement Friday afternoon that officials are working with external cybersecurity experts to work through the problem. An investigation has also been launched into the matter, which has not resulted in any known access of unauthorized, personal or employee data.

“We will notify affected individuals if the investigation identifies evidence to the contrary,” Vaccaro said via the statement. “Our goals right now are to make sure our network is secure, all devices are clean and to restore our full functionality of data.”

Township officials declined to comment beyond Friday afternoon’s statement, which did not elaborate on the type of incident or provide other details.

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computer systems, networks and programs from digital attacks.

Primary township services, such as police, fire and emergency medical (EMS), have not been interrupted, and Jackson employees continue to work regular shifts and hours, Fiscal Officer Randy Gonzalez said earlier Friday.

Police Chief Mark Brink said officers have been answering emergency calls as normal and with no major hiccups.

However the Jackson Police Department is not able to receive and respond to non-emergency email messages, Vaccaro said. Residents with queries are asked to call the police non-emergency phone number, which is 330-834-3963. The non-emergency Fire Department line is 330-834-3953.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation would not confirm an investigation, citing that internal policy prohibits it.

The FBI offers assistance to those who fall victim to cyberattacks to help determine the source and if there is a continuing threat, Susan Licate, public affairs officer for the agency, said.

Victims can report the incident to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, so they can investigate, she added.

“The public should be assured that the FBI takes seriously cyber intrusions that could compromise national security,” Licate said.

Municipalities can be prime targets for cyber attacks

The Ohio Township…

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You’ve Been Hit by Ransomware: What Should You Do? | Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

August 20, 2022/in Internet Security

Despite your best efforts, you have been hit by ransomware. You are locked out of your system, and you can provide no services to your customers, clients or patients. From a business perspective, you need to get your system unlocked so you can get back to work. But, from a legal perspective, what should you do?

PAYING THE RANSOM

Recent changes in the law have made one option – paying the ransom – significantly more complicated, and those who choose this route may actually find themselves in legal trouble. First, the federal government has been threatening to go after ransomware victims who pay ransoms for violations of federal money laundering, money transfer and international sanctions laws. Second, states are actually prohibiting entities (both municipalities and some private companies) from paying ransom to get their data restored. For victims, this can mean both excess time without the ability to access your data and paying millions of dollars in damages or restoration costs rather than a more modest payment of ransom to the threat actor.

Effective July 1, 2022, Florida became one of an increasing number of states that banned the payment of ransom in certain circumstances. Florida Stat.282.3186 specifically provides that

“A state agency … a county, or a municipality experiencing a ransomware incident may not pay or otherwise comply with a ransom demand.”

This is similar to the laws in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona (HB 2145) and the proposed law in New York, all of which have either banned, or seek to ban, the payment of ransom in ransomware cases. Some of these laws apply only to state or municipal agencies (including public hospitals), but others, like that proposed in New York would apply to any businesses or health care entity.

In addition, a proposed federal law, the Ransomware and Financial Stability Act of 2021, 117 H.R. 5936, would prohibit any U.S. financial institution from making a ransomware payment in excess of $100,000 without authorization from the treasury department. Federal law also requires critical infrastructure companies to notify the government within 24 hours if they have made a ransomware payment. The laws also prohibit…

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Security Expert Kevin L. Jackson Launches Security Innovation Based On The BlockChain Fit For The Cyber Warfare Age

April 9, 2022/in Internet Security

Press release content from Prodigy News. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.

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04/08/2022, Concentric Media Inc. // PRODIGY: Feature Story //

Security expert Kevin L.Jackson has lent his expertise to the launch of a new service based on innovative blockchain technology. In partnership with Total Network Services Inc., this innovation can help secure supply chains and ensure individual users can identify and remediate compromised devices in their network.

The Universal Communication Identifier (UCID) is the world’s first blockchain-enabled service for supply chain security, device management, software licensing, and equipment tracking.

One of UCID’s key features is the tokenization of all connected devices onto a blockchain, which will improve visibility on when and where a hack has occurred, across all connected devices. Users will also have a record of information transactions associated with that device.

This is crucial in an age where our devices are increasingly interconnected – especially through the Internet of Things (IoT) – and are susceptible to hacking.

‘Increasingly, the rise of connected devices, and IoT devices, means that we will be providing cyberwar hackers with more opportunities for to steal data and compromise the global information and telecommunications infrastructure ,’ says Jackson.

On an individual level, this could mean hacking into baby monitors, CCTV, or smart cars for ransom money.

Meanwhile, corporations are increasingly susceptible to software supply chain attacks on key aspects of their businesses. From compromising payment platforms to attacking devices further down in the chain by third-party devices, in today’s internet age, The SolarWinds hack in 2020, which disrupted more than 30,000 public and private organizations, is just an example of how vulnerable corporate supply chains are today.

UCID helps address these issues. Service capabilities include automated hardware and software bill-of-material documentation, counterfeit device detection, and software remediation monitoring give users more…

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