Rhode Island Health Portal Hit by Data Breach

Rhode Island's HealthSourceRI portal suffered a significant ransomware attack, compromising the personal and financial data of hundreds of thousands of residents, including Social Security numbers and banking information. The breach impacts users of various state assistance programs, such as SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and is believed to have been carried out by an unnamed international cybercriminal organization demanding ransom. State officials announced that anyone who has applied for benefits through these programs since 2016 may be affected, with notifications being sent to those impacted. The portal, RIBridges, has been temporarily shut down to address the security threat, and new applications will need to be submitted via paper until it is restored. Deloitte, the vendor associated with the portal, confirmed the breach but provided no details on the threat actors involved. The state is taking steps to protect residents' data and provide guidance on safeguarding their financial information.