Russian Gang's Hack Exposes Personal Data of 1.3 Million Maine Residents

A Russian cyber-extortion gang's hack of a file-transfer program called MOVEit has affected over 1 million people in Maine, potentially exposing their personal information such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth. The breach, which occurred in May, impacted various state agencies and industries including insurance, finance, education, health, and government. This is the latest in a string of cyber breaches in Maine, with over 3,000 entries in the Office of the Maine Attorney General's log of data breach notifications since June 2020. The average cost of a data breach has reached an all-time high of $4.5 million, with the healthcare industry reporting the most expensive breaches. Maine officials have taken measures to address the breach, including blocking internet access to the affected server and hiring external cybersecurity professionals.