Authorities confirmed Thursday that Bluffton Fire and Rescue in Bluffton, South Carolina has been impacted by a cyber attack.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) spokesperson Tommy Crosby said the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (SCCIC) program joint task force, along with National Guard and FBI partners, “is aware of and has provided assistance” to Bluffton Fire and Rescue.
The attack involved ransomware, and has since been resolved, according to sources.
Captain Lee Levesque told Fox28 that the staff names and information were not accessed in the attack.
Bluffton is a quaint town in the Lowcountry near Hilton Head Island. It’s seen a major population boom in recent years, growing from a population of 14,000 people in 2013 to more than 21,000 in 2017.
Several government entities in South Carolina have been compromised by cyber attacks in recent months. Last fall, neighboring Jasper County underwent a possible ransomware attack involving tax records.
And in October, a cyber intrusion took place at the Calhoun County School District, also involving ransomware.
Three years ago, S.C. governor Henry McMaster tapped Bruce Smalley – an information technology officer with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) – as the “Cyber Executive” in charge of the state’s “critical infrastructure cybersecurity program.” Smalley leads a new law enforcement group in South Carolina responsible for managing “cyber threats, incidents, or attacks affecting the state’s critical infrastructure and key resources.”
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