Cyber Incident Victim: Washington County Community Development Agency
Date:
Jun 2016
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A Washington County Community Development Agency server was compromised by an unauthorized third party, potentially exposing personal information of Section 8 housing residents and employees. The breach involved names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers, though investigators confirmed no data theft occurred. As a precautionary measure, the agency offered affected individuals one year of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 2 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In June 2016, the Washington County Community Development Agency (WCCDA) discovered an unauthorized third party had breached one of its servers. The intrusion occurred earlier that month, though the exact date of initial access was not disclosed. The agency promptly engaged a cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident. The investigation confirmed the breach potentially compromised sensitive personal information belonging to individuals associated with the agency’s Section 8 housing program and certain employees. Exposed data included names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers, though the specific number of affected individuals was not disclosed in available reports. WCCDA publicly announced the breach by June 29, 2016, notifying potentially impacted parties through undisclosed channels.
The cybersecurity investigation concluded no information had been definitively stolen or misused as a result of the breach. Despite this finding, WCCDA implemented precautionary measures by offering one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those potentially affected. The agency did not disclose technical details regarding the attack vector, duration of unauthorized access, or specific server functions compromised. No evidence suggested operational disruptions to Section 8 housing services following the incident. Public reporting indicated no subsequent updates regarding legal repercussions, financial penalties, or additional remedial actions beyond the credit monitoring offering.