Cyber Incident Victim: Angel Horses
Date:
Oct 2024
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A Billings nonprofit providing equine-assisted emotional support services suffered a $70,000 cyberattack resulting in unauthorized bank transfers, threatening its operations following previous flood-related challenges. Local authorities are investigating the incident with no funds recovered; community efforts include a crowdfunding campaign to mitigate potential closure. The organization, operating solely on donations, faces renewed financial jeopardy despite having survived prior disasters through community support.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On October 1, 2024, Billings nonprofit Angel Horses Inc. publicly disclosed a cyberattack that jeopardized its 27-year operation providing emotional support through rescued horses for elderly and sick community members. The incident occurred earlier in October when owner Jonnie Jonckowski received a spyware notification indicating unauthorized access to their systems. Attackers compromised the organization's bank account and transferred $70,000—the entirety of their operational funds—before detection. Angel Horses, which operates exclusively on donations with no financial reserves, immediately faced potential closure as the theft eliminated resources critical for animal care, facility maintenance, and community programs. The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office confirmed an active investigation into the theft, though no funds had been recovered at the time of reporting. This financial devastation compounded existing challenges from June 2023 flooding that nearly shuttered the nonprofit, requiring significant community donations to recover.
The cyberattack's operational impact forced Angel Horses to establish a GoFundMe campaign while confronting emotional parallels to previous crises. Jonckowski emphasized the dual loss of resources and community trust, framing the theft as an attack on Billings' collective support system. Cybersecurity firm Billings Tech Guys reported observing similar small-business breaches weekly, noting attacker sophistication necessitates continuous software updates and monthly security training—measures unavailable to the nonprofit prior to the incident. Despite investigative efforts and public appeals, the organization remained in immediate financial peril with no confirmed recovery path for stolen funds. Operational continuity hinged entirely on renewed community donations, mirroring the flood recovery scenario but compounding leadership fatigue from repeated crises.