City of Sheboygan says ransomware attack affects nearly 68,000 individuals
The affected information varies but may include Social Security numbers
SHEBOYGAN — Nearly 68,000 people will be receiving a letter in the mail from the City of Sheboygan informing them they were affected by a data breach last year.
The city experienced “an encryption event” that resulted in a network disruption on October 31, 2024. Upon discovering the incident, officials swiftly took steps to secure its digital environment according to Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, a Chicago-based law firm the city hired. It also engaged a digital forensics firm to conduct an investigation to determine whether any data may have been affected.
The investigation revealed that certain data stored by the city may have been accessed or acquired without authorization. City officials discovered earlier this month that certain individuals’ personal information was affected by the incident. According to Attorney Todd M. Rowe, the affected information varies by individual, but may include names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, license plate numbers, and drivers’ license numbers.
In November, City Administrator Casey Bradley said he did not believe sensitive personal information has been compromised. “Should we discover an impact to any sensitive personal information, we will notify those individuals as soon as possible and provide them with information and resources to assist,” Bradley said.
The City of Sheboygan is offering one year complimentary identity protection services to those individuals whose Social Security numbers were affected by the incident. Letters were mailed on Friday, May 23rd. In December, the city spent nearly half a million dollars to make hardware and software upgrades.
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