News Summary
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee announced that Deloitte will pay $5 million to cover expenses related to a significant cyberattack on the RIBridges social services system. The breach, attributed to the Brain Cipher threat group, exposed sensitive data of over 709,000 individuals. Affected residents are being offered credit monitoring services, while a dedicated call center is being established to assist those impacted. State officials are preparing a phased relaunch of the system to restore public services by mid-January 2025.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has announced that Deloitte will pay $5 million to the state to cover expenses related to a cyberattack on the RIBridges social services system. The attack took place in December 2024 and affected a significant portion of the state’s population. The breach, attributed to a threat group known as Brain Cipher, has raised concerns about the security of personal information for many residents.
The RIBridges program is essential for managing public benefits in Rhode Island, including food assistance, health insurance, and cash benefits. The data breach potentially impacted more than 709,000 individuals, exposing sensitive personal information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, health information, and banking details.
In the aftermath of the cyberattack, individual notification letters were sent out starting in January 2025 to nearly 657,000 individuals. However, due to the nature of the RIBridges database, some notification letters were sent to caretakers, resulting in a higher number of outreach efforts. Affected individuals are being offered five years of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services in response to the breach.
In addition to the $5 million payment, Deloitte is covering the costs associated with establishing a dedicated call center to assist affected individuals, as well as ongoing investigations into the breach. The intrusion was first detected on December 5, 2024, when suspicious activity was identified. By December 10, the situation was confirmed to be a cyberattack.
State officials have advised residents to remain vigilant against potential fraud, as the hackers behind this attack have threatened to leak the compromised data. Deloitte has been working alongside law enforcement and IT experts to conduct extensive forensic investigations aimed at mitigating the impact of the breach.
According to findings from the CrowdStrike firm, Brain Cipher gained unauthorized access using the credentials of a Deloitte employee who had access to the RIBridges VPN. This breach has led to ongoing efforts to identify the full scope of affected individuals, as initial investigations uncovered discrepancies in notifications. Approximately 114,879 individuals who received notification letters were later determined not to have been affected, while an additional 107,757 individuals potentially impacted had not been notified at all.
The cyberattack severely disrupted the functionality of the RIBridges system, preventing around 2,000 Rhode Islanders from enrolling in state health coverage. In response to the disruption caused by the breach, state officials are preparing a phased relaunch of the RIBridges system, with the aim of restoring public service functionality by mid-January 2025.
The breach investigation remains ongoing, with additional individuals potentially identified as being impacted in the future. Authorities are committed to ensuring that all affected residents receive the necessary notifications and support as the situation develops.
This incident highlights the critical importance of cybersecurity measures in protecting sensitive information and ensuring the continuity of essential public services.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- HIPAA Journal: Rhode Island RIBridges System Hack
- Wikipedia: Cybersecurity
- StateScoop: Rhode Island Benefits System Cyberattack
- Google Search: Rhode Island cyberattack
- Cybersecurity Dive: Rhode Island Social Services Breach
- Google Scholar: Rhode Island data breach
- New York Times: Cyberattack on Rhode Island
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Cyberattack
- Providence Journal: Rhode Island Cyberattack
- Google News: Rhode Island RIBridges
Author: STAFF HERE PROVIDENCE WRITER
PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER The PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREProvidence.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Providence, Providence County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as WaterFire, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Rhode Island Comic Con. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, plus leading businesses in finance and manufacturing that power the local economy such as Citizens Financial Group and Textron. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Rhode Island's dynamic landscape.
