PROVIDENCE –
Some information taken by hackers from the RIBridges public benefits system has been released on the dark web, according to an announcement Monday by Gov. Daniel J. McKee.
During a press conference at 1:30 p.m. in the Governor’s Room at the Statehouse, McKee said his office was informed around 9 a.m. by Deloitte Consulting LLP, which manages the computer system, of the release by ransomware group Brain Cipher.
RIBridges was shut down on Dec. 13 as a precautionary measure. Officials say the stolen personal data for up to 650,000 individuals included Social Security and bank account numbers, along with information from health insurance received through HealthSource RI.
Security teams are now analyzing the released files, but the administration said the full scope of the data that was released remains unclear. They have urged anyone who used the RIBridges system to assume their data has been compromised.
The administration is also working with Deloitte to generate a list of affected individuals and will send letters with instructions on how to access free credit monitoring, it said, adding the latest development does not "yet" mean the information has been used for identity theft purposes.
McKee said he has told Deloitte they should be prepared to cover any out of pocket losses the state encumbers from the delay or loss of social services.
“We know that our contracts require protection,” he said. “Clearly the state did what it needed to do to make sure those systems were in place.”
Chief Information Security Officer Brian Tardiff said Deloitte is obligated to follow certain security protocols to ensure data is secure and the administration is “going to work to validate those were adhered to.”
The department is aiming to have RI Bridges back up live sometime in mid-January.
McKee said he has requested a meeting with the FBI to discuss the possibility of a federal investigation to catch the cybercriminals, but acknowledged “the chances of catching these guys is relatively remote.”
(UPDATES throughout with comment from Statehouse; deletes previous reference that Deloitte representatives were at the press conference.)
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
