The city of Columbus was the target of a ransomware attack on July 18, 2024. The miscreants breached the city’s IT infrastructure, aiming to encrypt data and demand a ransom. As a damage control measure the city’s Department of Technology quickly delinked the internet and successfully prevented the encryption of critical systems.

However, on investigation, the real impact of this cyberattack only emerged in October, when a disclosure by city officials revealed that the hack allowed attackers to obtain and later leak sensitive information on the dark web, including Social Security numbers, driver’s license details, and bank account information. The legal team for the city of Columbus, Dinsmore, sent a regulatory filing to the state of Maine, letting it know that 24 Maine residents were impacted by the Columbus breach. In this notice, Dinsmore wrote, “Total number of persons affected (including residents): 500000.” Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page