Tag Archive for: NBC

Threat of Confidential Data Release in Dallas Ransomware Attack – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

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A threat was posted Friday on a website related to the Royal Ransomware Group threatening to release data the group claims to have accessed from the City of Dallas.

The ransomware attack on Dallas government was first revealed on May 3 and since then city officials have always said no data has leaked.

The new post mentions the city’s claim and responds saying tons of personal information, including court cases, medical information and thousands of government documents will be posted on blogs.

City officials have confirmed that key portions of Dallas government remain harmed by the attack which caused them to shut down many systems to avoid spreading damage.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said this week that his access to crime data has been compromised for mapping strategy. He said a backlog of reports remains to be filed.

The Dallas County District Attorney released a statement saying some police evidence for court cases has not been available for pending trials.

The City of Dallas Municipal Court, where traffic and code citations are handled, remained closed.

Public computers were not available in Dallas libraries and returned books could not be properly checked in.

Cyber Threat Expert Sam Rubin, a Vice President with Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, who is not involved with the Dallas investigation, said threat actors do access data in more than 70% of attacks.

“They’re not only locking up files but they’re taking information as well. And it’s really all about upping that level of pressure so they can extract payment. It’s a form of extortion,” Rubin said.

Former Federal Prosecutor Matt Yarbrough who handles cybersecurity and data privacy cases with the law firm Michelman and Robinson said the threat posted Friday is a new level in the Dallas case.

“It’s a major escalation from the standpoint they’re going to release these critical systems not only about employees but active and ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions. And the fact that it hurts or is hurting cases at trial right now is a major factor,” Yarbrough said.

The city of Dallas issued a statement Friday renewing the claim that no data has leaked.

“We continue to…

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Dallas Still Dealing With Ransomware Attack – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

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The City of Dallas is still in the midst of a ransomware attack Monday as officials worked to bring computer service back to all city functions.

Some website access was restored but crucial public safety functions like police and fire computer-aided dispatch were still impacted.

“One of my first contacts was how much they were beat down this weekend because of all the backed-up calls,” Black Police Association of Greater Dallas President Terrance Hopkins said.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia shared body camera video Monday from officers who wounded a man early Saturday morning after the man threatened people and refused to drop a gun. The body camera video showed blank patrol car computer screens where officers would normally see information about a call for service.

“Certainly it’s impacted us. It’s impacted us and DFR quite a bit, but the men and women continue to answer the call,” Garcia said.

Computer-aided dispatch at the 911 communications center had been down since Wednesday.

“It figures out what the closest appropriate resource is and automatically dispatches that,” Dallas Firefighters Association President Jim McDade said.

Without that, McDade said he’s heard about ambulance calls delayed by 30 minutes for life-and-death situations like heart attack calls.

“Calls are not being answered in our normal timely manner,” he said.

The Dallas City Council Public Safety Committee Monday received a briefing on the situation from Dallas Chief Information Officer Bill Zielenski.

Some of it was presented in pubic, but Zielenski declined to discuss the means of attack, the mode of remediation or communication with attackers because criminal investigations are underway.

“Doing so risks impeding investigations or exposing critical information,” Zielenski said.

He said the ransomware is believed to be contained but every piece of the city network equipment must be reimaged to be certain no corruption remains.

Zielenski saved more of the discussion for a closed-door executive session with council members. There was no public mention of any ransom request or payment.

“This event underscores the need for our city to address the…

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Cyber Attack Hits NJ Police Department – NBC New York

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The Camden County Police Department experienced a ransomware attack that has been locking many criminal investigative files and day-to-day internal administration abilities, several law enforcement officials said. 

Investigators said the attack started in the middle of March and technicians continue working to try to get all systems back up and running.

A police spokesman confirmed the cyber intrusion but stressed the ransomware attack did not impact 911 call systems or other public safety responses.

CCPD spokesman Dan Keashen said the malware first hit the department about three weeks ago. 

“The agency is operational and did not experience any disruption or outages in its public safety response services to the Camden City Community,” Keashen said.

The FBI, NJ State Homeland Security’s office and the New Jersey attorney general’s office were all notified of the incident and are assisting in the investigation, several officials said.

Sources familiar with the matter said the hackers were demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars to unlock the files as a result of the malware. Keashen declined to comment on what group might be behind the incident or how much money was being demanded.

Sources briefed on the matter said electronic police files were among those locked and inaccessible — delaying some investigations. One official said about 80-85 percent of the files have now been reopened. Keashen said the department “is working with information technology and law enforcement professionals to ensure there is no remaining threat in our network.”

An epidemic of ransomware attacks has prompted Biden administration officials to deem them a national security threat. But what exactly is “ransomware” and how do these cyberattacks work?

One law enforcement source said investigators were looking into whether the incident began after a police department employee opened a personal email that was malware on a police department device.

Two sources said the Camden County Prosecutor’s office has also been hit by a hacking incident impacting some files. It is unclear how significant of a cyberattack the office suffered in the last couple of…

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Oakland Police Union Seeking Damages Suffered in Ransomware Attack on City – NBC Bay Area

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Oakland police officers have filed a claim against the city for damages suffered due to the ransomware attack on the city in February, officials with the police union said Monday.

The claim was filed Thursday by attorneys for the Oakland Police Officers’ Association, which represents more than 700 officers.

The union is asking for monetary compensation as well as credit monitoring services, bank monitoring services, credit restoration services and identity theft insurance.

“Having to file this legal claim is disappointing,” said police union President Barry Donelan in a statement. “Oakland employees trusted the city with their personal and confidential data, and the city failed them by releasing it through a combination of incompetence and negligence.” City officials, including the mayor’s office, said last week that they would meet with the police union following a threat of litigation.

As of Monday, there hasn’t been a meeting, but union officials said they are optimistic a meeting will occur.

A spokesperson for Mayor Sheng Thao on Monday referred a request for comment to City Attorney Barbara Parker’s office.

Parker’s office did not have a comment Monday, saying the office just received the claim and has not had time to review it. The city was closed Friday for Cesar Chavez Day.

The ransomware attackers released private, personal information of police officers, Donelan said. Reportedly, other employees’ private information was released, too.

The attack started Feb. 8. The attackers crippled the city’s information technology systems and demanded ransom to free the systems.

Attorneys for the police union said the city was repeatedly warned in the past and recently of “significant deficiencies in the security of its information technology systems,” according to the claim filed Thursday.

The claim was filed by the police union’s attorneys Rains, Lucia, Stern, St. Phalle and Silver and is a precondition for filing a lawsuit against the city, attorney Rockne Lucia Jr. said.

“We are currently evaluating all of our options and will make a determination on how to protect the interests of the members of the OPOA in the next few weeks,” Lucia said by email….

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