The US Marshals Service has suffered a ransomware attack, resulting in the breach of sensitive information about employees and the subjects of its investigations.
(Bloomberg) — The US Marshals Service has suffered a ransomware attack, resulting in the breach of sensitive information about employees and the subjects of its investigations.
A standalone computer system was seized as part of the attack on Feb. 17, Drew Wade, the agency’s communications chief, said in an emailed statement.
That system held sensitive law enforcement data, including legal and administrative information, as well as “personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of US Marshals Services investigations, third parties and certain US Marshals Service employees,” Wade said.
Senior department officials have determined that the breach, first reported by NBC News, is a “major incident.” The Department of Justice is conducting a forensic investigation. A criminal investigation is also ongoing, Wade added.
Ransomware infects an organization’s information-technology systems and seizes critical files. Perpetrators typically demand a ransom payment in return for a decryption key to reinstate these files, but it has become increasingly common for groups to threaten to leak the data if a victim refuses to pay the ransom.
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