Stay up-to-date on what is happening with privacy laws, as well as stories about leaks of private information from security breaches in the public and private sector. Ironwall by Incogni has provided emergency services to individuals, businesses, police organizations and courts in the wake of hacking incidents and ransomware attacks.
Last updated: November 6, 2024
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Phishing and Ransomware Attacks
Houston Housing Authority Grapples with Dual Crises, Ransomware Attack Amid Alleged Fiscal Misconduct Scandal
The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) finds itself ensnared in a digital chokehold, a ransomware attack has breached its network. The cyber intrusion occurred over a month ago, on September 22. Yet, amid inquiries, the full scope of compromised accounts remains undisclosed by HHA, as KPRC 2 Investigates reported.
Phishing attacks continue to wreak havoc for average Americans
According to the Comcast Business 2024 Cyber Security Threat Report, 2.6 billion phishing interactions were detected by Comcast Business in 2023. That same report indicated that the general public should not consider a phishing attack to be a vague possibility. They should consider it an inevitable threat.
LA housing authority admits data breach following ransomware attack
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) has suffered its second ransomware attack in as many years. Threat actors known as Cactus added HACLA to its data leak website, claiming to have stolen 891 GB of files from the organization. The archives reportedly include, "personal Identifiable Information, actual database backups, financial documents, executives\employees personal data, customer personal information, corporate confidential data and correspondence.”
City of Columbus: Data of 500,000 stolen in July ransomware attack
The City of Columbus, Ohio, notified 500,000 individuals that a ransomware gang stole their personal and financial information in a July 2024 cyberattack. Ohio's capital city (with a population of over 905,000) was hit by the ransomware attack on July 18. The resulting outages affected various services and IT connectivity between public agencies. City officials announced at the end of July that no systems had been encrypted and revealed that the City's administration was still investigating the possibility that sensitive data had been stolen during the breach.
UnitedHealth Ransomware Attack Exposed 100 Million People
Data on over 100 million people was exposed because of the ransomware attack on UnitedHealth subsidiary Change Healthcare earlier this year, according to a document from the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights. Personal information like names and physical addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and passport numbers were stolen in the breach, along with contact information like phone numbers and email addresses. Medical data was also stolen, along with some financial and banking data that appeared on various records.
Microsoft: Ransomware Attacks Growing More Dangerous, Complex
Attackers launched 600 million threats on Microsoft customers daily in the last year, according to the tech giant.
BianLian ransomware claims attack on Boston Children's Health Physicians
The BianLian ransomware group has claimed the cyberattack on Boston Children's Health Physicians (BCHP) and threatens to leak stolen files unless a ransom is paid.
BHCP is a network of over 300 pediatric physicians and specialists operating over 60 locations across New York's Hudson Valley and Connecticut, offering patient care in clinics, community hospitals, and health centers affiliated with Boston Children's Hospital.
Hospitality industry faces a phishing scam surge
The hotel industry, which relies heavily on technology to manage guest services and operations, has become a prime target for cybercriminals. Phishing – where attackers pose as legitimate entities to trick individuals into divulging confidential information – has become the method of choice for these criminals. These attacks aim to steal user credentials and sensitive guest information, such as payment details, potentially leading to significant financial and reputational damage.
Ransomware Attacks and Business Continuity: A Modern Crisis for Companies
Imagine waking up to a business crippled by a ransomware attack: no data, no communication, and no operations. This scenario might seem like a scene from some dystopian future, but it’s the hard reality thousands of businesses face yearly because of malicious ransomware attacks. What might begin as a seemingly harmless click on an email—a phishing email—can quickly escalate into an operational nightmare for you and your business. What’s more, this is not a mere tech complication; it’s a business continuity problem with the potential to devastate every corner of your business.
Comcast says customer data stolen in ransomware attack on debt collection agency
U.S. telecom giant Comcast has warned that cybercriminals stole the personal data of more than 230,000 customers during a ransomware attack on a third-party provider of debt collection services.
2 West Texas healthcare systems impacted by IT outage, 1 confirmed ransomware attack.
Two West Texas-area healthcare entities - the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center system and University Medical Center in Lubbock - are days into widespread IT outages, with UMC confirming it is 12 days into a ransomware attack.
Threats Against Judges
Illinois man ordered detained in threats against federal judge in St. Lucie County
According to allegations in the six-count indictment, Eric James Rennert transmitted threats on May 25, May 28 and July 24 of injuring and kidnapping a U.S. judge and the family of the federal judge, with the "intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with the judge while engaged in the performance of official duties."
Norristown woman accused of threatening judge who sent her to jail in previous threats case
Moments after a Montgomery County judge sent her to jail for threatening district court staff in Plymouth Township, an "agitated" Norristown woman unleashed threats against the judge, according to court documents.
Utica man arrested for threatening judge
According to an investigation by Oneida County Sheriffs, in July, 40-year-old Jeremy Ibanez of Utica used vulgar language and racial slurs against the sitting judge in the town of Whitestown. Oneida County Sheriffs took a harassment complaint against Ibanez a week later.
Judges Say Social Media and Political Polarization Puts Them in Danger
As social media has cemented itself in the fabric of how the country communicates, judges have noticed a marked spike in the negative feedback they are receiving. The comments may range from a disgruntled X (formerly Twitter) user who blames a judge for a certain opinion to legitimate death threats from an organized group that has tracked down a judge's home address and posted it on its Instagram page for thousands to see.
Allred inmate threatens judge, outburst in court
Donald McCray was accused of assaulting officers and other inmates, setting a fire, damaging property, threatening judges and district attorneys, mailing white powder to district judges, and over 63 pages of disciplinary issues, according to officials.
Seattle judge frustrated with death threats over controversial bail decisions
"This hearing is not about me, but I will share with you that I often get death threats based on the decisions that I made. Which is equally frustrating to me because I'm trying to do my job, and it should not be the responsibility of any member of the public to threaten my life because I am trying to uphold the law.”
Man threatened to kill Fort Pierce judge, possibly targeting Trump jurist
An Illinois man is accused of threatening to murder a federal judge in Fort Pierce, the same district where U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. A federal grand jury indicted Eric James Rennert, 65, on Thursday for allegedly threatening to assault, kidnap and kill a judge and the jurist's family. Prosecutors identified the target of Rennert's threats only as a federal judge in St. Lucie County, making Cannon one of two possible candidates.
Court officers receive threats after election-denying former county clerk sentenced to prison
A Colorado judge has been getting multiple threats after he sentenced an election-denying former county clerk to prison for orchestrating a security breach to further a conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
Privacy Laws
Are You Ready for Eight More Privacy Laws in 2025?
In 2025, eight additional states' comprehensive privacy laws will come into effect, further increasing the complexity of compliance. By the end of next year, approximately 150 million Americans—43% of the U.S. population—will be covered by comprehensive state-level privacy regulations.