Cyberattack locks Camden County Police Department out of files

🔴 The police cyberattack locked up access to files and day-to-day internal administration functions

🔴 The Camden County Prosecutor's Office was hit at the end of March

🔴 The origin of the attacks is under investigation

CAMDEN – The Camden County Police Department and the Camden County Prosecutor's Office were hit by separate cyberattacks in March

The attack on the police department initially locked up access to criminal investigative files and day-to-day internal administration functions, unnamed law enforcement sources told NBC Philadelphia. The sources said the department has since regained access to 80-85% of the affected files.

Police Spokesman Dan Keashen told New Jersey 101.5 in an email that the attack happened March 13 but did not have any impact on public safety response.

The hackers demanded "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to release the files, sources told NBC Philadealphia. Keashen did not disclose whether or not the county considered paying.

The county police provides law enforcement services to the City of Camden.

Camden County Prosecutor's Office Spokeswoman Donna Weaver told New Jersey 101.5 her office also experienced a cyberattack during the last week of March.

"The office is operational and did not experience any disruption or outages in its public safety response services to the Camden County community," Weaver said in an email.

Both agencies said they are working with information technology and law enforcement professionals to ensure that there is no remaining threat in their respective networks.

Keashen said the two departments do not share servers or networks.

Schools, and municipalities attacked this year

Several New Jersey school districts and a hospital have been affected by cyberattacks in the past year.

The personal data of 617,000 CentraState Medical Center on an archived database was stolen during a breach in December. No financial or payment information was kept in the archive.

🖥️ The Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District disclosed the details about a "service disruption" in December found to expose the names and Social Security numbers of district employees and others who are in the district's insurance plan, according to a media release obtained by MyCentralJersey.com.

🖥️ The Monroe Township School District in Gloucester County closed for several days at the end of November because of problems with the school's internet and WiFi connection.

A message from Superintendent Susan Ficke said the problem was caused by an “unauthorized third party,” according to 6 ABC Action News. There would be “logistical and safety concerns” if classes were held without an internet connection, according to Ficke's message.

🖥️ A problem with internal servers at the Hudson County Schools of Technology campuses in Secaucus and Jersey City was blamed for taking down its network in early December.

🖥️ The Tenafly School District was also the victim of a ransomware attack in June.

🖥️ Several New Jersey government agencies have fallen victim to cyberattacks, including Somerset County, whose entire IT system was taken down in May.

🖥️ East Windsor Township's system was attacked in March 2022.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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