Analysis Summary

Data stolen from Rhode Island's health benefits system was posted on the dark web by cybercriminals. The state was ready for this and is informing those affected, said the governor. Medicaid, SNAP, Rhode Island Works, long-term care, childcare assistance, and HealthSource RI insurance are among the state programs that RIBridges supports.

Following a data breach, Rhode Island is urging citizens to protect their data. The specific files that were stolen from RIBridges and uploaded on the dark web are unknown. IT teams are currently working hard to examine the files that have been made public. According to the statement, they do not yet know the extent of the data included in those files, and this is a complicated process.

The company that created and manages the RIBridges system, Deloitte, has spoken with the data theft threat group. In order to identify and alert those affected, the consulting firm is looking into the security compromise. Those people will receive letters explaining how to sign up for free credit monitoring. Deloitte said that the cybercriminal made at least certain RIBridges files available on a dark web website.

The state has been preparing for this situation, which is why they started a statewide awareness campaign earlier this month to urge Rhode Islanders who might be affected to safeguard their personal data. IT teams are currently working hard to examine the files that have been made public. Although this is a complicated procedure and we are still unsure of the extent of the data included in those files, we should presume that the RIBridges system's data has been compromised.

Even if the data has been stolen, the governor noted, this does not imply that it has been used maliciously, including for identity theft. Residents of Rhode Island are urged to take prompt action to safeguard their financial data. To keep people from getting a loan or building credit in their name while still having access to their money and credit cards, it is advised that they freeze their credit with all three credit reporting agencies. In addition, guardians of adolescents who have benefited from services or benefits must keep an eye on and freeze their credit.

Impact

• Sensitive Data Theft
• Identity Theft
• Financial Loss

Remediation

• Use strong, unique passwords for sensitive accounts. Regularly change passwords for all accounts.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts to add an extra layer of security to login processes.
• Organizations need to stay vigilant and follow best practices for cybersecurity to protect their systems and data from potential threats. This includes regularly updating software and implementing strong access controls and monitoring tools.
• Develop a comprehensive incident response plan to respond effectively in case of a security breach or data leakage.
• Maintain regular backups of critical data and systems to ensure data recovery in case of a security incident.
• Adhere to security best practices, including the principle of least privilege, and ensure that users and applications have only the necessary permissions.
• Establish a robust patch management process to ensure that security patches are evaluated, tested, and applied promptly.
• Conduct security audits and assessments to evaluate the overall security posture of your systems and networks.
• Implement network segmentation to contain and isolate potential threats to limit their impact on critical systems.
• Never trust or open links and attachments received from unknown sources/senders.
• Improve communication with customers by providing timely and transparent updates about data breaches, including what information was compromised and the steps being taken to mitigate the impact.
• Ensure that all vendors and third-party partners adhere to stringent security protocols and regularly assess their cybersecurity practices to minimize the risk of data breaches originating from external sources.
• Provide affected customers with comprehensive support, including credit monitoring services, identity theft detection, and resolution assistance, to help mitigate the potential consequences of the breach.