Cyber Incident Victim: Richland County Recycling Committee
Date:
Apr 2016
Location:
United States of America
Summary
Multiple Richland County government websites, including the Recycling Committee, Sheriff’s Department, and emergency services, were compromised by pro-ISIS hackers Team System Dz, who defaced the sites with the terrorist group's logo and threatening messages. This marked the third breach by the Algeria-based group within a year, following prior attacks on the county's Veterans Services and Sheriff’s Department. The hackers previously targeted entities such as the University of Toronto and Isle of Wight, Virginia. All affected county sites were restored following the incident.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On April 15, 2016, multiple Richland County, Wisconsin government websites were compromised and defaced by the Algeria-based hacking group Team System Dz. The attackers targeted at least ten county-operated domains, including the Recycling Committee, Sheriff’s Department, Ambulance Service, Veterans Services, Health and Human Services, County Fair, Land Conservation Department, Parks Commission, Emergency Management, and the primary Richland County Government site. The defacement replaced legitimate content with the official logo of the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) and a threatening message endorsing the terrorist group’s agenda. This marked the third successful breach of Richland County’s systems by Team System Dz within a 12-month period, with prior incidents involving the Veterans Services and Sheriff’s Department websites. The group employed similar tactics in previous attacks against the University of Toronto and Isle of Wight, Virginia.
The defacements rendered all affected websites temporarily inaccessible, displaying only the pro-ISIS message until administrators restored service by the article’s publication date. No data theft or additional post-compromise activities were reported. Historical patterns indicated systemic vulnerabilities, as the same attackers repeatedly penetrated county infrastructure without implementing sufficient defensive measures after prior breaches. The incident exposed operational disruptions across emergency services, law enforcement, environmental programs, and public communications. Restoration efforts focused on removing defaced content and reactivating sites, but the article highlighted unresolved security weaknesses enabling recurrent attacks. Zone-h archives preserved defacement evidence, confirming the scope and repetition of compromises.