Fort Price officers say leaked knowledge got here from Public Info Act request

Officers within the Metropolis of Fort Price, Texas denied being hacked for a second time after the identical cybercrime group posted one other batch of knowledge allegedly stolen from authorities networks.

On Saturday, the SiegedSec hacking group mentioned its “last” assault concerned 40GB of stolen knowledge from Fort Price’s Division of Transportation & Public Works. The group shared screenshots of what seemed to be a file switch service utilized by town, which has almost 1 million residents.

The group leaked the info alongside info stolen from a number of corporations. In its earlier assault on the Metropolis of Fort Price and different native governments throughout the U.S., the hackers claimed that their motive was to punish U.S. states which might be banning gender-affirming care.

A number of specialists have questioned that acknowledged motive, and in subsequent assaults the group focused states that had not banned the observe.

“This would be the conclusion of SiegedSec’s assaults on the U.S,” the group mentioned on Saturday. “Our intention all through this operation was to make a press release and encourage others to do the identical. Now we have proudly succeeded in our purpose. Till subsequent time.”

Fort Price’s metropolis spokeswoman initially mentioned their IT division was investigating the problem however Fernando Costa, assistant metropolis supervisor of Fort Price, later advised Recorded Future Information that town’s IT division has decided that the printed knowledge “consists of public info posing no threat of identification theft or monetary fraud.”

“IT employees validated the supply of the info is beforehand launched knowledge in response to a Public Info Act request. The underlying server, database and storage, once more, was not compromised,” town’s IT division mentioned. “All the info posted by the attacking group is public info and never delicate info that would end in identification theft or monetary fraud.”

Final week, town confirmed {that a} web site with authorities info was breached and accessed by the identical group of hackers.

However they downplayed the severity of that incident in feedback to the media, explaining that the info got here from an internet site that metropolis staff use to handle upkeep actions.

“It seems the hackers downloaded file attachments to work orders inside the system and people attachments embody issues like pictures, spreadsheets, invoices for work carried out, emails between employees, PDF paperwork and different associated supplies for work orders,” town’s Chief Expertise Officer Kevin Gunn mentioned.

Not one of the info was “delicate in nature,” Gunn mentioned, including that general most of it’s knowledge that “could be launched by way of a Public Info Act request.” Gunn mentioned the investigation uncovered that the group stole login info however it’s unclear how they managed to perform that.

No different programs had been accessed and no delicate knowledge was accessed or launched, Gunn reiterated.

SiegedSec by no means requested town for a ransom, in line with Gunn. When requested by reporters what motivated the group, he referenced their Telegram put up, noting that they appeared fascinated with embarrassing town and “making a political assertion.”

SiegedSec claimed it hacked the governments of Arkansas and Kentucky final 12 months after the state banned abortion following the Supreme Court docket resolution to overturn Roe v. Wade. However state officers later confirmed that the group merely downloaded publicly obtainable report knowledge.

The group leaked paperwork or defaced the web sites of presidency companies in Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina final week.