Easter Seals Hawaii Hit by Ransomware

Easter Seals Hawaii was hit by ransomware on Wednesday, January 18, 2017.

The non-profit charity says that their computers were infected with malware that locked their workers out and demanded payment in exchange for access to their own data. This data includes the medical and personal information associated with the 2,300 special needs children and adults and their families served by Easter Seals Hawaii.

A Hawaii News Now article states that the organization says their data was “just locked up, not stolen,” and that they “reported the hacking to the FBI and that the staff is now in the process of backing up its computer files.” This statement suggests that Easter Seals Hawaii did not pay the ransom and had not been backing up their data before the ransomware attack. There was no mention of the ransomware attack on the Easter Seals Hawaii website or on their social media sites.

Easter Seals Hawaii works to provide services and support to people with disabilities and special needs in Hawaii.

Source: Hawaii News Now. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/34298596/hackers-target-easter-seals-hawaii

Further Reading: SCMagazine, Charities increasingly a target for cyberthieves