Files taken from the city of Oakland by an unauthorized third party have been leaked, city officials said Friday, about a month after the ransomware attack.
The city said the hackers released some information but did not specify what that was.
“We are working with third-party specialists … and are reviewing the involved files to determine their contents. If we determine that any individual’s personal information is involved, we will notify those individuals in accordance with applicable law,” a spokesperson for the city said in a statement.
They added that they take the hacking seriously and will hold those responsible accountable.
A ransomware attack occurs when someone encrypts files and demands ransom to decrypt them.
The attack was reported on Feb. 8 and essentially blocked residents from being able to file police reports online, pay their taxes, or email council members.
Below is the full statement from the city of Oakland:
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“While the investigation into the scope of the incident impacting the City of Oakland remains ongoing, we recently became aware that an unauthorized third party has acquired certain files from our network and released some of this information. We are working with third-party specialists and law enforcement on this issue, and are reviewing the involved files to determine their contents. If we determine that any individual’s personal information is involved, we will notify those individuals in accordance with applicable law.
Protecting the confidentially of the information we hold is a responsibility we take seriously. We will continue to work diligently to investigate and address this incident while working with our expert teams to enhance our security even more moving forward.”
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