West Chester Township has had its second potential cybersecurity breach with the same hacking group in the last month, according to a news release.
At about 6:45 a.m. on Aug. 26, West Chester Township was notified of a potential cybersecurity breach by a hacking group. The township’s release said that the potential breach appears to have targeted the township’s central email server, but that there is currently no evidence that any data has been stolen.
The township did not name the hacking group involved in the breach, but did ask members of the media not to release specific information about the hacking group or the dark web portals they use to distribute information to avoid “empowering these bad actors.”
The first incident with the hacking group happened on Aug. 12. The township said the early August incident was “quickly isolated and contained.”
Since the Aug. 12 breach, West Chester Township said it has been working with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, legal counsel, and cybersecurity experts to “investigate the incident, strengthen our defenses, and respond to the potential threat.”
The township said it has started a forensic analysis into the attack and that steps have been taken to protect “critical systems and sensitive data.”
Greater Cincinnati businesses and agencies have been hacked before
In 2020, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office became compromised through a phishing email that led the Sheriff’s Office to limit the hackers’ access to sensitive material by taking the entire department offline for a month.
A 2022 article by The Enquirer also referenced cyberattacks that happened in and before 2022 against Cincinnati’s Museum Center and Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Kroger, UC Health, Christ Hospital, Mount Healthy Schools, WKRC-TV owner Sinclair Broadcasting, and Planning and Development Services of Kenton County.
Across the country, cybercrime has caused $16.6 billion in losses in 2024.
An annual report by the Internet Crime Complaint Center said that a bulk of the reported losses in 2024 were due to fraud. The report names ransomware as the leading threat for “critical infrastructure.”
Ransomware, according to the FBI, is a type of malicious software that prevents you from accessing your computer files, systems, or networks, and demands you pay a ransom for access to be returned.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: West Chester Township faces second cybersecurity threat this month by same hacking group
Reporting by Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
