Home News Story Class action lawsuits over cyberattack filed against Deloitte; breach linked to Brain...

Class action lawsuits over cyberattack filed against Deloitte; breach linked to Brain Cipher

By

Katie Castellani

-

12/16/2024

Statehouse-drone — DAYS AFTER a cyberattack hit RIBridges, Rhode Island residents filed federal class action lawsuits against Deloitte, which manages the public benefits system./PBN FILE PHOTO/PAM BHATIA

PROVIDENCE – Days after a cyberattack hit RIBridges, Rhode Island residents filed federal class action lawsuits against Deloitte, which manages the public benefits system. Complaints were filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island and New York, where Deloitte’s headquarters are located. Gov. Daniel J. McKee said during a press conference Monday afternoon that he

Already a Subscriber? Log in

To Continue Reading This Article

Become a Providence Business News subscriber and get immediate access to all of our premier content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Critical RI business news and analysis updated daily.
1 year of print (26 issues).
Unlimited access to all subscriber only content on our website, on any device.
Free email alerts.
Annual Book of Lists Print Edition.
All special issues produced during subscription term.

Click Here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article

PBN Branded Content

Building a Stronger Heart: Inside South County Health’s Cardiopulmonary Rehab Program

A Heart-Healthy Start to the Year February is American Heart Month—a time to raise awareness…

Learn More

No posts to display

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

PROVIDENCE – Days after a cyberattack hit RIBridges, Rhode Island residents filed federal class action lawsuits against Deloitte, which manages the public benefits system. Complaints were filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island and New York, where Deloitte’s headquarters are located. Gov. Daniel J. McKee said during a press conference Monday afternoon that he is aware of the lawsuits and anticipated them. Karen Walsh, a spokesperson for Deloitte, did not immediately respond to PBN’s request for comment on the lawsuits, which claim plaintiffs and "thousands of class members suffered ... financial losses resulting from identify theft, out-of-pocket expenses" and other costs. Walsh did say the cyberattack is the same data breach that the ransomware gang Brain Cipher took responsibility for Dec. 4. “Rhode Island’s system known as RIBridges is the 'single client system' impacted by the Brain Cipher data breach earlier this month,” Walsh said in a statement. Walsh added the single client system operates outside of Deloitte’s network and no Deloitte systems were affected by the cyberattack. The root cause of the cyberattack is under investigation and officials don’t believe it originated in Rhode Island, the state’s chief information officer, Brian Tardiff, said during a press conference Monday afternoon. Tardiff said officials have been in constant contact with Deloitte and a representative from the company is expected to be present in the state "at some point in time." He did not have a definitive timeline for when the investigation would be completed. State officials first announced the hack Dec. 13 and said it exposed the data of up to hundreds of thousands of residents who have used RIBridges programs since 2016. McKee said officials aren’t sure exactly how much data the hackers have accessed, but it could include social security and banking information. The hackers have demanded a ransom, which state officials have declined to comment on. While the investigation is underway, McKee urged Rhode Islanders to protect their personal information. “You need to act now,” McKee said. Hours before Monday’s press conference, his office released a video explaining five steps Rhode Islanders can take, including: freezing credit, contacting credit bureaus to order a credit report, request a fraud alert from one of the credit agencies, setting up multiple levels of security and to be aware of any suspicious emails, phone calls or text messages. A toll-free hotline was set up Sunday to advise residents on how to protect their personal information. The toll-free hotline can be reached at 833-918-6603. It will operate Mondays to Fridays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Citizens can also visit cyberalert.ri.gov for more information. Kimberly Brito, director of the state Department of Human Services, said the agency has opened all seven field offices in Rhode Island. Also, DHS has partnered with behavioral health providers to serve customers and staff affected by the breach and there are plans to launch a mobile unit. The state’s Office of Healthy Aging is also planning outreach to help elderly who may have difficulty accessing support services available online. HealthSourceRI Director Lindsay Lang said existing coverage for 2024 was not affected by the cyberattack. Also, those who have already enrolled for 2025 coverage by Dec. 12 should not be affected. If a resident has auto-enrolled in 2025 coverage and has not yet paid for it, it is still safe to make payments. While state officials did not give an estimated timeline for when the investigation will conclude, they said coverage starting in January 2025 will still be available through offline sources. Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com. James Bessette, PBN special projects editor, contributed to this report. You may contact him at Bessette@PBN.com.