KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho – County officials advised the public on Wednesday that a ransomware attack on March 30 resulted in cyber criminals stealing significant personal information from the county’s network.
According to the press release, the impacted information included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, individual taxpayer identification numbers, driver’s license or state identification card numbers, medical information, health insurance identification numbers, as well as financial account and payment card information.
“For a small number of individuals, the impacted information contained a biometric identifier, such as fingerprints,” Kootenai County officials added.
Upon detecting the ransomware on the county’s network, an investigation was launched in collaboration with cybersecurity and data forensics consultants, followed by a review of the impacted information and to whom it belonged. This review was reportedly completed on July 2.
Following the incident, county officials stated that several efforts were underway to enhance network security, including strengthening security tools, network monitoring with end point detection tools, increasing network access requirements, improving personal data protection, and initiating an “enterprise-wide password reset.”
Members of the public are encouraged to monitor their account statements and conduct free credit reports to look for any unauthorized or suspicious activity. Additionally, Kootenai County residents are urged to report any suspected identity theft incidents to local and state law enforcement, as well as major credit bureaus.
“Please accept our apologies that this incident occurred,” county officials said. “The privacy and security of your information is very important to the County, and we remain committed to protecting it.”
Residents with questions or concerns regarding the incident are encouraged to contact the county’s assistance line at 1-866-200-0996. The line will remain in operation from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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