That includes the township’s financial software.
“New endpoint protection tools and password resets have further strengthened network security as systems come back online,” Wooten said.
The investigation on the group responsible for the attack is continuing with cybersecurity consultants and law enforcement officials, including the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
“Our forensic investigation is still ongoing to determine the full scope of the incident and ensure all vulnerabilities are addressed,” Wooten said.
Free identity theft protection services are being offered to all employees. It includes credit and financial monitoring, privacy protection tools, and recover/insurance coverage to provide for legal and person expenses in the event of an incident.
West Chester is the third Butler County community to experience a cybersecurity incident since May 5 when Liberty Twp. underwent a ransomware attack. It, too, has offered protection to past and current employees.
Middletown is also recovering from an incident last month that disrupted several city functions including email, phone and website services. Employee information may have been compromised in that attack as well.
In its 2024 report, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center said it has received more than nine million complaints of malicious activity since its founding 25 years ago. The group has averaged more than 2,000 complaints every day over the last five years.
With 24,915 complaints filed in 2024, Ohio ranked seventh in the country in the number of complaints that year, according to the report.
Last year losses reported to IC3 totaled $16.6 billion – a new record.
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