State Officials Warn of Cyberattack on Rhode Island Social Services Portal
State officials in Rhode Island have issued a warning to hundreds of thousands of residents about a cyberattack on the state’s online portal for social services. The attack, which targeted the RIBridges system used for programs like Medicaid and SNAP, has a “high probability” of compromising personally identifiable information.
Governor Dan McKee’s office provided an update on the situation, stating that the Healthsource RI insurance marketplace was also affected. This means that anyone who has applied for or received health coverage or human services benefits could be impacted by the breach.
The information accessed by the cyberattackers may include sensitive details such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and banking information. The breach was first brought to the state’s attention by Deloitte, the operator of the RIBridges system, on December 5. However, it was only on December 13 that it was confirmed that malicious code had infiltrated the system.
In response to the threat, Deloitte and the state took the system offline to address the issue. In the meantime, Rhode Island residents are advised to use paper applications to apply for benefits until the online system is deemed secure.
According to a report by The New York Times, cybercriminals behind the attack have threatened to release the stolen data unless they receive a payment. This adds another layer of concern for those affected by the breach.
