State officials say hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders could be affected by a cyberattack on the state's social services online portal, and there is a “high probability” their personal information will be compromised. .
According to an update from Gov. 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). It is said to have been targeted.
The attack also targeted the Healthsource RI insurance market. “Individuals who receive or apply for Medicare or Health and Human Services programs or benefits may be affected by this breach,” McKee's office said in a statement.
Information that cyber attackers access can include your name, address, date of birth, social security number, banking information, and more.
The RIBridges system is operated by Deloitte, which first notified the state of the potential cyberattack on Dec. 5, but McKee's office said it was unclear at that time whether confidential information had been compromised. I said not. On Friday, Dec. 13, Deloitte confirmed the presence of “malicious code” in the system and worked with the state to “proactively” take down the system to address the threat.
Meanwhile, the state said Rhode Island residents can continue to apply for benefits using paper applications.
The state's chief digital officer, Brian Tardif, said at a press conference Friday that the cybercriminals who claimed responsibility for the attack threatened to release the data unless they were paid, The New York Times reported. He said he is doing so.