Ransomware group Rhysida has this morning claimed the recent attack on the City of Columbus, Ohio. It alleges to have stolen 6.5TB of databases, including internal logins and passwords of employees, access to city video cameras, and data from the emergency services.
The City confirmed it had ‘thwarted ransomware encryption’ of its network on July 29, 2024. While the City managed to sever internet ties to limit the impact of the attack, it was still investigating potential data breaches as a result and suggested it would be notifying those involved in the coming weeks.
The FBI and Homeland Security are aiding with its investigation. It was also confirmed that the threat actors gained access to the city’s systems “through an internet website download and not an email link.”
While we await further updates as to the extent of the data breach, it is highly recommended residents and employees of the City remain on high alert for potential phishing campaigns. Monitoring accounts for any unauthorized/unusual activity is also crucial.
Who is Rhysida?
Rhysida is thought to have ties to the ransomware group Vice Society and first originated in May 2023. Since then, we have logged 48 confirmed attacks via this group. These attacks have affected nearly 3.5 million records and the average ransom has been nearly $1 million.
Rhysida is also the group behind the attacks on Hernando County in April 2024 and the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender in June 2024. It has also claimed responsibility for attacks on 12 other government offices around the world.
So far this year we’ve tracked eight confirmed attacks via Rhysida and 30 unconfirmed attacks.
Ransomware attacks on US government organizations
Throughout 2024 so far, we’ve logged 53 attacks on US government organizations. This looks set to exceed the figure we saw in 2023 (78 in total). The average ransom on these entities throughout 2023 and 2024 is $720,000.
Other attacks confirmed this month include the Town of Apex, Florida Department of Health, Monroe County, Clay County, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Jefferson County Clerk, the Town of Summerville, and the City of Forest Park.
We have also noted 19 unconfirmed attacks on US government agencies this year so far.
More about the City of Columbus
The City of Columbus, Ohio, has a population of just over 900,000 people, making it the 14th most populated city in the United States.