"Ohio History Organization Says Personal Information Stolen in Ransomware Attack"
Ohio History Connection (OHC) has recently confirmed that the personal information of thousands of individuals was stolen in a July ransomware attack and later posted online. A nonprofit organization, OHC manages the Ohio History Center, the primary museum for Ohio’s history, and 50 museums and sites across the state. The organization is headquartered in Columbus, where the Ohio History Center is located. The organization stated that data on its internal servers was encrypted and stolen in a ransomware attack in July. OHC noted that the attackers threatened to post the stolen information online, demanding millions of dollars to be paid as ransom. OHC did make an offer to the cybercriminals to prevent the release of the data. On August 7, the cybercriminals rejected the offer. The organization stated that the personal information of certain stakeholders may now be accessible to those who may be looking for it. The compromised information includes the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of current and former employees (between 2009 and 2023), along with the names and Social Security numbers of third-party vendors providing services to the organization. The organization stated that the threat actor also may have gained access to images of checks provided to OHC by some members and donors beginning in 2020. The organization estimates that roughly 7,600 individuals might have been affected by the incident. OHC says it has reported the attack to the relevant authorities and has retained an IT consulting firm to help with the investigation.