Breach, Threat Management, Data Security, Threat Management

Cyberattack brings down Newark Police Dept. systems

A cyberattack on the Newark Police Department brought down systems used to track and analyze crime data and to dispatch officers.

Officials didn't specify when the attack began but said they were unable to access their systems for three days last week while staffers worked to clear a virus found to have infected servers, according to NJ Advance Media.

“The virus did not disrupt the delivery of emergency services to our citizens," Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose told the publication, due to a backup system and there was no indication that any information was compromised.

The department didn't say what security measures failed in the attack but said additional safeguards have been put in place to “further reduce the likelihood of another infection," Ambrose said.

Officials said the breach was reported to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New Jersey State Police.

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