Ransomware attack hits US Marshals Service

NBC News reports that the U.S. Marshals Service had a stand-alone system with sensitive data compromised following a 'ransomware and data exfiltration event' on Feb. 17. Such an incident has been regarded by officials as major as the impacted system contained legal process returns, administrative data, and personally identifiable information from individuals investigated by the USMS, its employees, and third parties, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Drew Wade, who said that the USMS has already unlinked the impacted system from its network. While a forensic investigation by the Justice Department is underway, the breach was noted by a senior law enforcement official to not involve the Witness Security Program database, indicating that no one in the witness protection program is at risk following the attack. Such a breach has also not disrupted the operations of the USMS as it has implemented a workaround to continue efforts in finding fugitives, said the official.