COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia cybersecurity expert says computer hackers have posted confidential information swiped in a March ransomware attack on the Cobb County government. The government says the thieves have demanded a ransom and set a Friday deadline for Cobb to pay it.
At the time, Cobb County government downplayed its impact. On Friday, the county issued a statement, in part:
“Upon discovering the intrusion, we immediately followed established protocols, took our systems offline, and restored operations shortly thereafter. A third party issued a ransom demand, which we declined. We refuse to support or enable criminal enterprises, even when faced with difficult choices. While we understand this may offer limited comfort to those affected, standing firm sends a clear message: bad actors will not profit from this crime.”
Rick Hudson of Critical Path Security said the hackers said images posted on “the dark web” appear to include confidential information and photos relating to Cobb County’s public services and about some Cobb County residents or customers.
“They’ve published autopsy photos. They’ve published social security numbers, drivers’ pictures. They’ve published next of kin contact information. They’ve published people’s names and addresses and other such data that you would expect in a data breach,” Hudson said.
Hudson says the cyberattacker is connected to Qilin, described online as a Russian-speaking criminal enterprise.
Cobb County initially said that the attack was limited, slowing down email and some county services and affecting a few individuals.
In its statement, Cobb County said its investigation is ongoing. “We will continue to notify any additional affected individuals as necessary. If we determine that specific personal information is at risk, Cobb County will provide those individuals with credit monitoring and identity theft protection.”
Hudson says Qilin appears to be demanding a ransom of at least $1 million, and has been known to demand subsequent ransoms after an initial one is paid.
