Pennsylvania AG confirms malicious cyber attacks

A month after website, email, and phone outages disrupted the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the office confirmed hackers intentionally carried out a cyberattack.

The office said in a press release Wednesday that a “malicious actor” had been encrypting files in an attempt to blackmail the office into making a ransom payment.

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General office has not paid, according to the news release.

It was unclear on Wednesday how much money the cyber attackers requested, what types of files had fallen victim to encryption, if all documents had been restored and if negotiations between the assailants and the state were ongoing.

“An active investigation remains ongoing in coordination with partner agencies. While the sensitive nature of the investigation limits our ability to share specific details, a principal focus of the investigation is determining what information was involved in the incident,” the office said in a statement.

The attack took place on Aug. 11, and since then some courts had issued orders providing time extensions on criminal and civil cases. The Office of Attorney General stated “we do not expect… that any criminal prosecutions or investigations or civil proceedings will be negatively impacted.”

“Office of Attorney General staff — approximately 1,200 people stationed at 17 home offices across the Commonwealth — are performing their daily duties, albeit parts of their work is being done via alternate channels and methods,” an Aug. 29, release said.

On Wednesday, the office said it alerted a few individuals that their information may have been involved in the attack.

“This situation has certainly tested (Office of Attorney General) staff and prompted some modifications to our typical routines — however, we are committed to our duty and mission to protect and represent Pennsylvanians, and are confident that mission is being fulfilled,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in the August news release.

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General could not be reached for comment.