Richland County, WI reports a year old data breach exposing 76K people
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Richland County, Wisconsin, is reporting a data breach that exposed the personal and protected health information (PHI) of 76,365 individuals.
The breach occurred during a cyberattack in September 2023 and was first identified on or around October 4, 2023, when the county discovered unauthorized access to its network. The subsequent investigation revealed that unauthorized access to the county’s internal systems occurred between September 28, 2023, and October 26, 2023. During this time, files containing sensitive data were potentially accessed or acquired.
The breach notification process was delayed, with Richland County confirming on August 1, 2024, that the compromised files included a wide range of personal and sensitive information. The affected data, varying from individual to individual, may have included:
- Names,
- Addresses,
- Phone numbers,
- Fax numbers,
- Email addresses,
- Dates of birth and death,
- Social Security numbers,
- Tax identification numbers,
- Driver’s license or government ID numbers,
- Passport numbers,
- Financial account details (account numbers, routing numbers, PINs, security codes),
- Payment card numbers (including expiration dates and CVVs),
- Usernames and passwords,
- License plate and VIN numbers,
- Medical and prescription information,
- Health insurance information,
- Biometric data.
The nature of the attack is not disclosed.
Despite the extensive nature of the breach, Richland County claims no evidence of misuse, such as identity theft or financial fraud, related to the exposed data. The county did not offer complimentary credit monitoring or identity theft protection services to the affected individuals, which has drawn criticism from local residents. Many residents, including public officials, expressed frustration over the county’s delayed disclosure, nearly 11 months after the breach was first detected.
