The City of Modesto has confirmed that a rumored security breach of its Police Department’s digital network was a ransomware attack.
At the time, the attack allegedly brought patrols to eschew computer-based management of their calls for service and rely heavily on radio to manage their workload.
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Inside the hack: The confirmation from City officials noted that the ransomware attack may have compromised personal information of individuals, including Social Security and driver’s license numbers.
- However, the city’s investigation determined that only a limited amount of information was accessed during the incident.
- City spokesman Andrew Gonzales confirmed that the incident did not put the public at risk or disrupt the city’s ability to provide services, including taking and responding to 911 calls. Modesto disconnected its Police Department’s digital network from the rest of the city’s network, and only the Police Department’s network was affected.
- Modesto officials will begin notifying individuals via U.S. mail next week who may have been impacted by this unauthorized access and provide them with complimentary credit monitoring services.
- To maintain the integrity of the investigation, the city has declined to disclose details such as the number of people affected, how the ransomware accessed the network, and whether the ransom was paid or not.
