A ransomware gang known as Rhysida has taken credit for a data breach at the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) that occurred in late August. This cyberattack caused disruptions to the MTA’s paratransit services and led to an outage of some real-time bus tracking systems. The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has confirmed that its systems were compromised and that data was lost. The full extent of the damage is still under investigation.
To prove its responsibility for the attack, Rhysida posted images online of what it claims are documents stolen from the MTA. These images show scans of various personal identification, including a Social Security card, a driver’s license, and a passport. In exchange for the data, the group is demanding a ransom of 30 bitcoin, which is valued at roughly $3.4 million. The group has given a deadline of seven days for the payment to be made.
At this time, MDOT has not verified the claims made by Rhysida. It is still unclear exactly what data was compromised, how many people have been affected by the breach, or how the attackers were able to gain access to the MTA’s systems. The public also does not know if a ransom has been or will be paid.
A spokesperson for the MTA confirmed that data was lost in the incident but said they could not provide further details because of the ongoing investigation. The spokesperson stated that if it’s determined that personal information was taken, affected individuals will be notified in accordance with state law. They also added that the state will take the appropriate actions and provide guidance on recommended steps to those affected.
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