Grass Valley CA Hit by Cyber Attack

  • By David Lukic
  • Published: Jan 13, 2022
  • Last Updated: Mar 18, 2022

Grass Valley, a city in California, has been hit by a cyber-attack.  The attack exfiltrated financial data and personal information pertaining to vendors that do business with the city, employees of the city, dependents of those employees, and even the spouses of city employees. 
 

How was the Attack Revealed?

The city of Grass Valley published a data security incident report stating an anonymous digital attacker illegally accessed the city’s information technology systems across a period of four months in 2021.  City representatives state the attacker exploited the city through unauthorized access between mid-April and the start of summer.  The attack stole highly sensitive data, yet the city did not reveal the extent of the information plucked from its systems.
 

Who is Affected by the Attack?

Aside from the parties noted above, the Grass Valley cyber-attack also stole information from individuals whose data was provided to the city’s police department.  The attack also tapped into the data pertaining to individuals whose information was given to the city’s Community Development Department in loan application paperwork.

The threat actor accessed information ranging from social security numbers to health insurance information, the names of vendors, and driver’s license numbers.  City Grass officials also revealed individuals who provided information to the Grass Valley Police Department and those who applied for a community development loan might have had their passport number, payment card information, financial account information, username, and password credentials stolen.
 

How Did the Grass Valley Officials Respond to the Attack?

Grass Valley city representatives refuse to state the specific date that the information was stolen yet they were willing to expound on their response to the stolen data.  City officials reveal they took steps to secure the information technology network.  The city also reached out to law enforcement and launched a formal investigation.  Grass Valley is currently receiving assistance form a cyber security specialist to perform digital forensics and mitigate the potential for additional attacks down the line.

The city also conducted an extensive review of the improperly accessed files during the attack.  Representatives of the city began notifying victims of the hacking incident last week.  The city also issued a public statement to quell fears of a subsequent attack.  The city’s statement touched on how it plans to perform an in-depth review of its information technology systems to prevent another data breach from occurring down the line.  The statement also highlighted the fact that the city is taking the necessary steps to bolster its digital security protocols.

 

About the Author
IDStrong Logo

Related Articles

Instagram Vulnerability Allowed Hackers Access to Control Your Phone

Security experts Check Point Research discovered a critical vulnerability while examining Instagra ... Read More

Alien Malware Infects More than 226 Mobile Apps and Steals Bank Data

As reported on September 24, 2020, by ZDNet and ThreatPost, a new strain of malware named “A ... Read More

Universal Health Systems Hit by Ransomware Attack

Universal Health Systems (UHS), a Fortune 500 company owning more than 400 hospitals across the co ... Read More

Exchange Server Bug Exposes a Big Risk to Hackers

Months after Microsoft released a patch to fix a serious flaw in MS Exchange Server, more than 61% ... Read More

Clients’ Bank Data Exposed in Blackbaud Ransomware Attack

Blackbaud software was victim to a ransomware attack last May, and new information suggests that c ... Read More

Latest Articles

What is Single Sign-On: The Benefits and Importance of Implementing SSO

What is Single Sign-On: The Benefits and Importance of Implementing SSO

Every day, more people get online - most do it for leisure, but organizations are increasingly moving into the digital environment.

Personal vs Sensitive Personal Information (SPI): What’s the Difference

Personal vs Sensitive Personal Information (SPI): What’s the Difference

What is there to know about a person? Certainly, their name, but how about their affiliations, philosophical beliefs, or sexual orientation?

What Is An On-Path Attack and How Does It Work? 

What Is An On-Path Attack and How Does It Work? 

Suppose someone left their home, got in their car, and drove to the grocery store. Much like data packets that travel over Internet highways, the car will use various pathways to reach its destination; however, once the car gets to the store, a question remains: what happened between the generating point and the destination?

Featured Articles

How to Buy a House with Bad Credit

How to Buy a House with Bad Credit

Buying your own home is the American Dream, but it might seem out of reach to those with bad credit. However, the good news is, if your credit is less than perfect, you do still have options and in most cases, can still buy a home.

How Secure Is Your Password? Tips to Improve Your Password Security

How Secure Is Your Password? Tips to Improve Your Password Security

Any good IT article on computers and network security will address the importance of strong, secure passwords. However, the challenge of good passwords is that most people have a hard time remembering them, so they use simple or obvious ones that pose a security risk.

Top 10 Senior Scams and How to Prevent Them

Top 10 Senior Scams and How to Prevent Them

Senior scams are becoming a major epidemic for two reasons. First, seniors often have a lot of money in the bank from a life of working hard and saving.

Free Identity Exposure Scan
Instantly and Securely Check if Your Personal Information is Exposed on the Dark Web or Sold by Data Brokers
Please enter first name
Please enter last name
Please select a state
Close
Free Identity Threat Scan
Instantly Check if Your Personal Information is Exposed
All fields below are required
Please enter first name
Please enter last name
Please enter a city
Please select a state
Please enter an age
Please enter an email address
Close