Police officers file lawsuit against city after cyber attack leaks their bank & personal information
By now, you’ve probably heard about the ransomware attack that’s impacting the City of Columbus and their employees (if not, here’s the rundown – a foreign cyber threat hacked into The City of Columbus’ database, stealing 6.5 terabytes of databases, internal logins, employee passwords, access to city video cameras, and even data from emergency services, then posted it all for sale on the darkweb).
Now, the City of Columbus is facing a class-action lawsuit over the handling of the ransomware attack.
An assistant police chief notified police officers in a released statement that the City of Columbus believes that this city data “has been accessed” by the foreign cyberattack, and almost a dozen police officers have voiced concern that their personal bank and credit card information were compromised. Chief LaShanna Potts advised The Division of Police to change their passwords and codes on their personal and professional devices.
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Two Columbus police officers, John Does #1 and #2, have filed a class action lawsuit against the city, alleging that their personal information and bank account information were stolen, and they’re seeking damages from the city.
The lawsuit explains that an undercover officer is fearful that his identity as a police officer could come to light, jeopardizing the criminal investigation and his life.
The lawsuit also says that an officer received notifications from both his bank and his credit card provider, saying that his Social Security number was compromised and found on the dark web. In the lawsuit, it alleges that the city “lost control over that data when cybercriminals infiltrated its insufficiently protected computer systems in a data breach.”
The attorneys representing John Does #1 and #2 are seeking a jury trial, accusing the City of Columbus for the following: negligence or recklessness, negligence per se, breach of implied contract, invasion of privacy, breach of fiduciary duty, and a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Rights for the undercover police officer.
You can take a deeper look at the lawsuit complaint here.
This isn’t part of the court case, but it’s worth noting that recently, it’s been uncovered that not only city employees were at risk for having their information stolen, but also civilians who have been to municipal court or even visited City Hall, including thousands of people from cases involving juveniles.
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