State Officials Confirm Data Breach

Hundreds of thousands of Rhode Island residents' personal and banking information, including Social Security numbers, have likely been compromised by an international cybercriminal group demanding a ransom, state officials announced on Saturday.

Hackers' Extortion Threat

Describing the situation as extortion, the hackers threatened to release the stolen data unless they were paid an undisclosed amount of money. The breached data affects individuals using the state's government assistance programs, including SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and healthcare purchased through HealthSource RI, as Governor Dan McKee revealed on Friday.

RIBridges Portal Breach

Hackers accessed RIBridges, Rhode Island's online portal for social services, earlier this month. The breach was confirmed by Deloitte, the vendor responsible for the portal, only on Friday. "Deloitte confirmed that there is a high probability that a cybercriminal has obtained files with personally identifiable information from RIBridges," the governor's office stated in a recent release.

Affected Individuals and State Response

Anyone who has applied for or received benefits through these programs since 2016 could be affected. The state has directed Deloitte to shut down RIBridges to address the threat. New benefits applications will temporarily need to be submitted via paper forms until the system is restored. Affected households will receive a letter from the state detailing the issue and steps to safeguard their data and bank accounts.