Becker’s Health IT reports that two batches of sensitive information of Chatham County, N.C. residents have been posted online on the dark web and light web by the ransomware group DoppelPaymer, and that the files have been accessed more than 30,000 times.

DoppelPaymer obtained the information during a cyber-attack on the County’s systems on October 28, 2020. The group then uploaded the files on November 4, 2020, and again in late January. The posting of information like this usually happens when a victim of ransomware refuses to pay the ransom demand.

The information contained in the files included “medical evaluations of children from neglect cases, personnel records of some employees and documents related to ongoing investigations with the Chatham County Sheriff’s office.”

Chatham County is working to determine its obligations “to ensure we respond in the most appropriate manner possible.”

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.