State officials said hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders could be affected by a cyberattack on the state’s online social services portal and that there is a “high” risk that personally identifiable information would be compromised.
According to an update from Governor Dan McKee’s office, the attack targeted RIBridges, which Rhode Islanders use to apply for and access programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The attack also targeted the Healthsource RI Insurance Marketplace. “Individuals who receive or applied for health insurance and/or health and human services programs or benefits may be affected by this breach,” McKee’s office said.
The information a cyber attacker has access to may include your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, banking information, and more.
The RIBridges system is operated by Deloitte, which first alerted it to the status of a potential cyberattack on December 5. But McKee’s office said it was not clear whether sensitive information was compromised. On Friday, December 13, Deloitte confirmed that the system contained “malware” and “proactively” shut down the system to work with the country to address the threat.
Meanwhile, the state said Rhode Islanders can still use paper applications to apply for benefits.
At a press conference Friday, Brian Tardiff, the state’s chief digital officer, said the cybercriminals claiming responsibility for the attack had threatened to release the data unless a ransom was received, according to the New York Times.
