Union County, Ohio, Confirms Data Breach Affecting 45,587 Individuals in May Ransomware Attack Officials in Ohio’s Union County have disclosed that a May ransomware attack compromised sensitive data belonging to 45,587 individuals, including residents and county employees. The breach, which remains unclaimed by any known threat group, exposed a wide range of personal information, such as Social Security numbers, financial account details, driver’s license numbers, medical records, fingerprint data, and passport numbers. The county notified affected individuals via breach notification letters. The incident is part of a broader surge in cyberattacks targeting state and local governments this year. In June, the town of Waxhaw, North Carolina, confirmed a ransomware attack by the Qilin gang, which resulted in the theft of over 600 GB of data. Other recent victims include Lorain County, Ohio, and the Maryland state government, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in public sector cybersecurity.

In May 2024, the Lorain County Board of Commissioners disclosed a data security breach where an unauthorized party accessed internal records on the Lorain County Auditor’s network. The incident exposed sensitive personal and financial information of county employees and vendors, including Social Security numbers, bank account details, and routing numbers. While no fraudulent activity was detected at the time, officials urged affected individuals to monitor their financial statements for suspicious transactions. The breach prompted a temporary shutdown of most county networks as a precautionary measure, though critical infrastructure (including 911 and emergency services) remained operational. Systems were fully restored by June 2. The attack did not disrupt county operations significantly but raised concerns over potential identity theft and financial fraud targeting employees and third-party vendors. The exposure of such sensitive data poses risks of phishing, unauthorized transactions, and long-term reputational damage to the county administration.