Sheriffâs Department provides update on data breach which forced S.B. County to pay $1.1 million ransom to hackers | News | fontanaheraldnews.com
Sheriff’s Department provides update on data breach which forced S.B. County to pay $1.1 million ransom to hackers
Jul 2, 2023 Updated 18 hrs ago 0
Sheriff's Department
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
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San Bernardino County officials have provided an update on a data breach which occurred earlier this year, acknowledging that the incident “may have impacted protected personal information and protected health information,” according to a notice posted on the Sheriff’s Department website on June 23.
“We take the privacy of information in our care seriously, and while we have no evidence to suggest that any information has been misused, in an abundance of caution, we are providing the information about the incident, our response, and steps that individuals can take to protect their information,” the county said.
The incident occurred on or about April 7, when the Sheriff’s Department discovered unauthorized activity within its computer systems.
The department found out that hackers had infiltrated the computers, and as a result, the county ended up paying a $1.1 million ransom to the hackers.
The Sheriff’s Department has partnered with a third-party computer forensic company to perform a thorough forensic investigation to identify all impacted data, the county said.
“Furthermore, we have notified federal law enforcement of this event and we are cooperating with their investigation,” the county said.
“If the investigation determined that data was impacted by this event, we will provide notification as required by federal and state law. Information related to individuals may include individual’s names in combination with addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license or state ID, financial account number, medical information, and health insurance information.”
The Sheriff’s Department “has taken every step necessary to address the incident and is committed to fully protecting all of the information entrusted to us,” the notice said.
In the meantime, the Sheriff’s Department is recommending that individuals remain vigilant in regularly reviewing and monitoring their account statements, credit history, and explanation of benefits forms to prevent identity theft and fraud.
“Additionally, individuals should report any suspicious incidents to local law enforcement and/or their state Attorney General,” the notice said.
Individuals may also wish to contact the three major credit agencies to place a fraud alert on their credit report; the credit agencies’ contact information is: Equifax (888-378-4329); TransUnion (833-395-6938); and Experian (888-397-3472).
Persons who have questions or concerns regarding this matter can call the county at (844) 665-7635, or write to: 655 East Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0061.
Jul 2, 2023 Updated 18 hrs ago 0
Sheriff's Department
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
PrintCopy article link
Save
San Bernardino County officials have provided an update on a data breach which occurred earlier this year, acknowledging that the incident “may have impacted protected personal information and protected health information,” according to a notice posted on the Sheriff’s Department website on June 23.
“We take the privacy of information in our care seriously, and while we have no evidence to suggest that any information has been misused, in an abundance of caution, we are providing the information about the incident, our response, and steps that individuals can take to protect their information,” the county said.
The incident occurred on or about April 7, when the Sheriff’s Department discovered unauthorized activity within its computer systems.
The department found out that hackers had infiltrated the computers, and as a result, the county ended up paying a $1.1 million ransom to the hackers.
The Sheriff’s Department has partnered with a third-party computer forensic company to perform a thorough forensic investigation to identify all impacted data, the county said.
“Furthermore, we have notified federal law enforcement of this event and we are cooperating with their investigation,” the county said.
“If the investigation determined that data was impacted by this event, we will provide notification as required by federal and state law. Information related to individuals may include individual’s names in combination with addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license or state ID, financial account number, medical information, and health insurance information.”
The Sheriff’s Department “has taken every step necessary to address the incident and is committed to fully protecting all of the information entrusted to us,” the notice said.
In the meantime, the Sheriff’s Department is recommending that individuals remain vigilant in regularly reviewing and monitoring their account statements, credit history, and explanation of benefits forms to prevent identity theft and fraud.
“Additionally, individuals should report any suspicious incidents to local law enforcement and/or their state Attorney General,” the notice said.
Individuals may also wish to contact the three major credit agencies to place a fraud alert on their credit report; the credit agencies’ contact information is: Equifax (888-378-4329); TransUnion (833-395-6938); and Experian (888-397-3472).
Persons who have questions or concerns regarding this matter can call the county at (844) 665-7635, or write to: 655 East Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0061.
