The City of Hendersonville, nestled in North Carolina and home to over 15,000 residents, grappled with a cyber incident before Thanksgiving, raising concerns over compromised employee data. Reports reveal that hackers targeted the city’s software infrastructure utilized for managing employee information, prompting an alert issued by Hendersonville officials. While specifics about the targeted software remain undisclosed, the city’s notice indicated a potential breach affecting employee data for individuals employed before January 1, 2021.
City Manager John Connet affirmed ongoing collaboration with the North Carolina Joint Cybersecurity Task Force and other law enforcement agencies, initiating an investigation into the incident alongside third-party cybersecurity experts. Connet emphasized that preliminary findings suggested unauthorized access to the system, underscoring a breach limited to specific employee data without extending to other systems or customer information. Despite the assurance that the impact was contained, the city plans to inform affected individuals once the investigation concludes. The incident in Hendersonville adds to a series of cyber threats targeting government institutions across North Carolina, despite the state’s strict ban on ransom payments to cybercriminals.
Recent attacks on various local entities highlight the persisting vulnerability of public systems, with officials continually confronting cybersecurity challenges in safeguarding sensitive data from cyber threats and breaches.
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