Hackers retrieved human resources files with personal information in the breach of D.C. police’s computer network, for which a Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate is claiming responsibility and threatening to share the data with local criminal gangs unless a ransom is paid.
Acting police Chief Robert Contee said Thursday in an email to staff that he can confirm “HR-related files with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) were obtained.”
Contee said the department is working to identify personnel who have been affected, and he shared information about credit monitoring options available immediately out of an abundance of caution.
D.C. police said Monday that its network was breached. Russian ransomware syndicate known as Babuk claimed to have stolen more than 250 gigabytes of data, including police reports and internal memos, some of it related to gang activity.
On Tuesday, Contee said in a video update that the department has identified what happened and has “blocked the mechanism that allowed the unauthorized access.”
