8,000 Akron taxpayers victims of a cyber-attack
AKRON, OH (WOIO)- Mayor Don Plusquellic now says the cyber attackers who hacked into the City of Akron's computer network Thursday, created a list of nearly 8,000 taxpayers' names, addresses and social security numbers, and posted this information on the internet.
The cyber attackers are a group named Turkish Ajan. The cyber-attack was launched against networks across the county, including the City of Akron.
The attackers infiltrated the City of Akron's computer network through its system of firewalls, intrusion protection systems, and virus protection software. The City immediately contacted the FBI Cybercrimes division. They have been assisting in analyzing what happened and how.
The City has contacted by email those individuals whose information was compromised. If you do not get a notification, your information still may have been compromised.
To find out over the weekend whether your information was compromised, you should call 3-1-1 (330-375-2311 from a mobile phone) on Saturday, May 18, from 9 am to 2 pm, or call the City's income tax office at 330-375-2290 on Sunday, May 19, from Noon until 4:00 pm.
If you are on the list of individuals whose information was released, the FBI recommends that at this point, you monitor all your financial accounts very carefully until they have more information.
"No matter how sound a network security is, rogue groups continually look for ways to attack networks," said Mayor Don Plusquellic. "We are doing all we can to minimize the impact of this attack. I encourage all of our citizens to please be diligent in monitoring your accounts while we continue our investigation with the FBI."
In the meantime, here are some resources to help you protect your credit:
