Mobile County Commission notifies employees of data breach
Mobile County Commission notifies employees of data breach
NEWS
by: WKRG Staff
Posted: Jul 23, 2021 / 01:38 PM CDT / Updated: Jul 23, 2021 / 01:38 PM CDT
FILE – This Feb 23, 2019, file photo shows the inside of a computer. For 21 years, the software company Kaseya labored in relative obscurity, at least until cybercriminals exploited it in early July 2021 for a massive ransomware attack that snarled businesses around the world and escalated U.S.-Russia diplomatic tensions. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — The Mobile County Commission has officially notified county employees of a computer system breach where employee data and sensitive information were at risk.
The statement from the commission to employees:
As previously addressed in statements published by Mobile-area media, Mobile County recently discovered suspicious activity related to some of its computer systems. We immediately shut down and launched an investigation, with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, to determine the nature and scope of the activity. Once the forensic specialists confirmed that our network was secure, we safely
restored our systems.
Although our investigation is ongoing, we have determined that certain computer systems were subject to unauthorized access on May 24, 2021. Through the forensics process, we learned on July 1, 2021 that employee information was at risk. This information includes: name, date of birth and Social Security number. On July 13, 2021 we learned that the health insurance contract number for employees subscribed to receive health coverage, and routing number for employees enrolled in direct deposit with Mobile County, were also at risk.
Given this news we are providing Mobile County employees with notice and information about credit and identity protection. Mobile County and specialists continue to review the remaining contents of the affected systems to determine what, if any, sensitive information regarding other parties was contained within these systems. As we confirm other potentially affected data, we will provide notice to the impacted population.
In the meantime, Mobile County is also taking steps to implement additional safeguards and review policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security. We understand that you may have questions regarding this incident. To ensure your questions are answered in a timely manner, please call the dedicated assistance line at (855) 545-2006, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST (except U.S. holidays) or for direct contact to Mobile County regarding this event please reach out to [email protected].
NEWS
by: WKRG Staff
Posted: Jul 23, 2021 / 01:38 PM CDT / Updated: Jul 23, 2021 / 01:38 PM CDT
FILE – This Feb 23, 2019, file photo shows the inside of a computer. For 21 years, the software company Kaseya labored in relative obscurity, at least until cybercriminals exploited it in early July 2021 for a massive ransomware attack that snarled businesses around the world and escalated U.S.-Russia diplomatic tensions. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — The Mobile County Commission has officially notified county employees of a computer system breach where employee data and sensitive information were at risk.
The statement from the commission to employees:
As previously addressed in statements published by Mobile-area media, Mobile County recently discovered suspicious activity related to some of its computer systems. We immediately shut down and launched an investigation, with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, to determine the nature and scope of the activity. Once the forensic specialists confirmed that our network was secure, we safely
restored our systems.
Although our investigation is ongoing, we have determined that certain computer systems were subject to unauthorized access on May 24, 2021. Through the forensics process, we learned on July 1, 2021 that employee information was at risk. This information includes: name, date of birth and Social Security number. On July 13, 2021 we learned that the health insurance contract number for employees subscribed to receive health coverage, and routing number for employees enrolled in direct deposit with Mobile County, were also at risk.
Given this news we are providing Mobile County employees with notice and information about credit and identity protection. Mobile County and specialists continue to review the remaining contents of the affected systems to determine what, if any, sensitive information regarding other parties was contained within these systems. As we confirm other potentially affected data, we will provide notice to the impacted population.
In the meantime, Mobile County is also taking steps to implement additional safeguards and review policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security. We understand that you may have questions regarding this incident. To ensure your questions are answered in a timely manner, please call the dedicated assistance line at (855) 545-2006, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST (except U.S. holidays) or for direct contact to Mobile County regarding this event please reach out to [email protected].
