Fallout continues following data breach in Washington County

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Personal data compromised in a breach at the Washington County Courthouse may have been exposed after a data breach in January and the county commissioners are still dealing with the aftermath.

Many of the courthouse employees told Washington County commissioners that they felt their data was compromised. County leaders say the possible stolen data could include social security numbers, dates of birth, health insurance information and medical information.

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“We have had some employees claim some suspicious activity...we don’t know if it’s related to the hack of something else, there was a concern so we decided we had to do something,” said Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi.

The county has posted a detailed report on the cyber attack at the top of the county’s website.

County commissioners say they are still working closely with federal investigators. They are also closely monitoring the county’s system and network.

Commissioner Maggi said the county paid to end the ransomware attack.

“I’m frustrated. 30 years of law enforcement. You do not do business with criminals,” said Maggi.

Commissioners Nick Sherman and Electra Janis disagree. They said they believe by paying the ransom they have protected all data from entering the dark web. They also say they feel the county is emerging from this incident stronger and better protected from any future breaches.

As a precautionary, the county is urging employees to closely monitor their bank accounts and credit reports.

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