PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Cybercriminals who hacked Rhode Island’s system for health and benefits programs have released files to a site on the dark web, a scenario the state has been preparing for, Gov. Daniel McKee said Monday.
The state has an outreach strategy to encourage potentially impacted Rhode Islanders to protect their personal information, according to a press release from McKee's office. The governor said it wasn't yet clear if all of the files stolen from RIBridges have been posted to the dark web, a part of the internet hosted within an encrypted network and accessible only through specialized anonymity-providing tools.
“Right now, IT teams are working diligently to analyze the released files. This is a complex process and we do not yet know the scope of the data that is included in those files," according to a statement from McKee's office.
McKee said in an afternoon press conference that Deloitte, the company that built and maintains RIBridges, has been in contact with the cybercriminals.
The state is working with Deloitte to generate the list of impacted individuals, officials said. Letters will be sent to those individuals with instructions on how to access free credit monitoring.
State programs that rely on RIBridges include Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Childcare Assistance Program, Rhode Island Works, Long-term Services and Supports, the At HOME Cost Share Program and health insurance purchased through HealthSource RI.
“While this data has been compromised, that does not mean it has been used for identity theft purposes—yet,” the statement added.
McKee urged Rhode Islanders to take a series of steps to protect their financial information including: reaching out to all three credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to freeze their credit; contacting one of the reporting agencies to order a free credit report; and requesting a fraud alert be placed on credit files.
Residents should also use multi-factor authentication instead of just one password to access their information and be on the lookout for fake emails, phone calls or texts that look legitimate.
Law enforcement officials are also investigating the data breach, McKee said, although he said the chances of apprehending those responsible is daunting given the nature of the crime.
FILE - Gov. Daniel McKee gives his victory speech during an election night gathering of Rhode Island Democratic candidates and supporters on Nov. 8, 2022, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell, File)
PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A gunman who fatally shot at least 12 people, including two children, in Montenegro has killed himself while surrounded by police, officials said Thursday.
At least four others were wounded in the shooting rampage in the western town of Cetinje on Wednesday that followed a bar brawl, officials said.
The shooter, identified as 45-year-old Aco Martinović, killed the owner of the bar, the bar owner's children and his own family members, Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović said.
The attacker, who was fled after the rampage, was later located and surrounded by police. He died after shooting himself in the head, Šaranović said.
Police had dispatched a special unit to search for the attacker in the town, which is located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of the capital, Podgorica. All the roads in and out of the city have been blocked as police swarmed the streets.
Šaranović said that Martinović had died while being taken to a hospital in the capital and succumbed from the “severity of his injuries.”
The government has declared three days of national mourning starting on Thursday, with Prime Minister Milojko Spajić describing the shooting as a “terrible tragedy.”
“The level of rage and brutality shows that sometimes such people ... are even more dangerous than members of organized criminal gangs,” Šaranović said.
Martinović was at the bar throughout the day with other guests when the brawl erupted, Police Commissioner Lazar Šćepanović said. He said that Martinović then went home, brought back a weapon and opened fire at around 5:30 p.m.
“He killed four people” at the bar before heading out, and then continued shooting at three more locations, Šćepanović said.
He said that the suspect received a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behavior and had appealed his latest conviction for illegal weapons possession. Montenegrin media have reported that he was known for erratic and violent behavior.
The small country of Montenegro, which has a population of around 620,000 people, is known for its gun culture and many people traditionally have weapons.
Wednesday’s shooting was the second shooting rampage over the past three years in Cetinje, Montenegro’s historic capital. An attacker killed 10 people, including two children, in August 2022 before he was shot and killed by a passerby in Cetinje.
President Jakov Milatović said that he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy.
“Instead of holiday joy ... we have been gripped by sadness over the loss of innocent lives,” Milatovic said in a post on X.
Police investigators work at the site of a shooting in Cetinje, 36 kilometers (22 miles) west of Podogrica, Montenegro, Wednesday, Jan 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic)
Police investigators work at the site of a shooting in Cetinje, 36 kilometers (22 miles) west of Podogrica, Montenegro, Wednesday, Jan 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic)
