Rhode Island Social Services Portal Hit by Cyberattack
A cyberattack on Rhode Island's online social services portal, RIBridges, has potentially compromised the personal data of hundreds of thousands of residents. The portal, used for accessing programs like Medicaid and SNAP, was targeted, along with the Healthsource RI insurance marketplace.
The attackers may have accessed sensitive information such as names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and banking details. Anyone who has used these platforms is potentially affected. The system is operated by Deloitte, which notified the state of a possible attack on December 5th, but the extent of the breach wasn't confirmed until December 13th. Learn more about Security here.
The state is now accepting paper applications for benefits while the online system is down. Cybercriminals have reportedly claimed responsibility and are demanding a ransom to prevent the release of the stolen data. This incident raises concerns about data security in government systems, similar to those discussed in Andreessen's AI Concerns: Government Control vs. Innovation.
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