City of Newport, Rhode Island

City of Newport Data Breach

The City of Newport, Rhode Island, experienced a data breach where unauthorized network activity was detected between June 8, 2022, and June 9, 2022. The breach resulted in the theft of files from the city’s file servers, which contained sensitive information used for human resources and benefits purposes for certain current and former employees and their spouses and/or dependents. The stolen data included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers used for direct deposit, and information related to group health insurance[1][5][11][17].

The city began notifying affected individuals on July 22, 2022, and offered them complimentary memberships to identity monitoring services. The City of Newport took this incident seriously and expressed regret for any inconvenience or concern caused by the breach. In response to the incident, the city has taken steps to enhance the security of its network to prevent future occurrences[1][11][16].

The breach affected approximately 6,109 individuals, and the City of Newport confirmed that no external customer data was believed to have been impacted by the incident[5][10][16]. The city’s network architecture ensured that all online city functions continued to operate normally despite the breach[16].

Law enforcement, both state and federal, were notified, and the city cooperated with the investigation. There was no mention of a ransom demand, and it remains unclear who was responsible for the breach[10][11]. The incident was also reported to the U.S. Office for Civil Rights, as it involved the protected health information of the affected individuals[17].

To address any questions from those impacted by the breach, the City of Newport established a dedicated, toll-free call center[16]. The city also advised impacted individuals to review statements from their health insurers and to contact their insurer immediately if they noticed charges for services they did not receive[16].

Citations:

1. https://www.thenewportbuzz.com/city-of-newport-confirms-hacker-data-breach-on-city-web-servers/38155
2. https://www.cityofnewport.com/city-hall/real-estate-information/property-records
3. https://whatsupnewp.com/2023/11/city-of-newport-seeks-to-crack-down-on-noise-with-help-of-a-i/
4. https://www.cityofnewport.com/report-it-newport
5. https://whatsupnewp.com/2023/08/the-biggest-health-care-data-breaches-you-should-know-about-in-rhode-island/
6. https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/crime/2023/11/01/man-punched-by-newport-cop-in-thames-street-brawl-in-viral-video-sues/71394044007/
7. https://www.cityofnewport.com
8. https://www.mass.gov/doc/assigned-data-breach-number-27930-city-of-newport-rhode-island/download
9. https://www.thenewportbuzz.com/newport-to-deploy-a-i-camera-system-to-crack-down-on-noise-violations/45157
10. https://www.wpri.com/target-12/feds-investigate-ri-data-breaches-affecting-more-than-36k-people/
11. https://www.safetydetectives.com/news/city-of-newport-loses-employee-data-in-breach/
12. https://www.newportri.com/story/news/local/2023/07/10/speed-camera-program-in-newport-delayed/70392289007/
13. https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/city-of-newport-loses-employee-data-to-hackers/
14. https://www.cityofnewport.com/city-hall/departments/police/special-detail-request
15. https://www.newportthisweek.com/articles/noise-ordinance-change-simplifies-enforcement/
16. https://whatsupnewp.com/2022/07/city-of-newport-advising-past-current-employees-of-potential-data-loss/
17. https://www.hipaajournal.com/healthback-holdings-email-security-breach-affects-21000-individuals/
18. https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/07/29/rhode-island-cites-10-eateries-for-alleged-safety-violations/
19. https://www.cityofnewport.com/city-hall/departments/public-services
20. https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/252523446/July-another-down-month-in-ransomware-attack-disclosures