Oregon DEQ Hackers Release Significant Trove of Sensitive Information

Earlier this month, Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) denied a data breach following a cyberattack. Now, threat actors have released the leaked database.

Oregon DEQ cyberattack this month

Oregon’s DEQ suffered a cyberattack earlier this month. The security incident forced the governmental regulatory agency to take several networks offline to contain it.

On April 9, the agency said it started investigating the attack, aiming to determine its scope. While the DEQ acknowledged the security incident, it said it saw no evidence of a data breach.

Rhysida ransomware claimed the attack

Despite the DEQ’s denial that a data breach occurred, the notorious Rhysida ransomware group claimed responsibility for the cyberattack. The gang posted what appeared to be a screenshot of the stolen data along with a seven-day countdown and a ransom demand of 30 BTC (approximately $2.5 million) to refrain from releasing it publicly.

However, Rhysida’s claims were viewed with skepticism, given the group’s failure to provide further evidence of the attack. Officials largely appeared to brush off the group’s assertions.

Hackers followed through on data leak threats

After initially being dismissed, Rhysida made good on its threats by releasing a massive data trove, consisting of 1.3 million files measuring a combined 2.4 terabytes, on its Dark Web portal.

The leak confirmed what many had doubted: the breach was real and the stolen database was not at all insignificant.

By Wednesday, Rhysida’s site indicated that a portion of the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) files had already been auctioned off to private data buyers.

Meanwhile, the remainder was made available for free download, exposing sensitive agency records to anyone willing to browse the Dark Web.

Still, DEQ officials remained cautious in their public statements. As of Thursday, an agency spokesperson said they could not confirm the exact amount of data stolen, citing an ongoing investigation into the extent of the breach.

Protecting against ransomware and other threats

While ransomware attacks often make headlines when they target large organizations, individuals are not immune. Cybercriminals can just as easily lock personal files such as photos, documents or financial records behind encryption walls, demanding a ransom for their return.

Dedicated solutions like Bitdefender Ultimate Security provide a comprehensive suite of features to help you defend against ransomware and other digital threats.

Additionally, Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection constantly monitors the public and dark web for traces of stolen data, alerting you if your information has been exposed and guiding you on securing your digital footprint.