Cyberattacker accessed R.I.'s benefits system five months before state officials discovered the hack
During those months, the hacker 'interacted with several archive files, as well as various user files and folders on systems,' according to the nine-page executive summary of the investigation, before making a 'large outbound transfer' in November.
Advertisement
However, through its review, CrowdStrike was unable to determine how the hacker 'gained access to the credentials used to authenticate to the VPN' or if the system's multi-factor authentication system was bypassed somehow, according to the summary.
Get Rhode Map
A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State.
Enter Email
Sign Up
No hacker activity has been reported in the system since the investigation began on Dec. 16, the review found. CrowdStrike finished its investigation on Jan. 31.
The full report has been withheld by state officials. Still, the short summary released Thursday provided the first publicly released details on how exactly the cyberattack unfolded before McKee alerted the public in December.
McKee is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. to further discuss the findings.
Advertisement
The breach ultimately left
The state first learned of the attack on Dec. 5, but did not reveal the issue to the public until
Emails obtained by the Globe show officials from the Department of Administration, HealthSource Rhode Island and Department of Human Services mobilized a team to deal with the hack on Dec. 6.
The majority of the communications between the date of discovery and when McKee told the public were redacted by the state.
At 3:47 p.m. on Dec. 13, Brian Tardiff, the state's chief digital officer, emailed a Deloitte executive: 'Please proceed with system shutdown.'
The system remained offline for more than a month, and
Deloitte first learned of the hack after someone posted on a website for Brain Cipher, a ransomware group, on Dec. 4, claiming to have infiltrated the system. Deloitte found 'identified suspicious activity' and notified state officials on Dec. 5.
Advertisement
The report does not identify the hackers, and says CrowdStrike's review 'did not reveal the presence of any artifacts related to ransomware execution in the RIBridges environment, nor the presence of any Brain Cipher ransomware notes.'
The McKee administration
This is a developing story and will be updated with details from the state's 10 a.m. press conference.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch ‘Grantchester' season 10 online for FREE – stream the period crime drama from anywhere
As we all know, from "Miss Marple" to "Midsomer Murders" the British countryside is one of the most dangerous places on Earth with a week-on-week body count to rival Mexico in the middle of a cartel dispute and 'Grantchester' season 10 is no different... Traveling outside the U.S.? Don't miss the show back home. Simply download a VPN to stream the show from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN. "Grantchester" season 10 premieres on Sunday, June 15 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS. Season 9 is currently streaming on PBS Passport. • U.S. FREE STREAM — Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 30-day trial Set in a seemingly tranquil 1950s Cambridgeshire village, this season brings bodies in an orphanage and a university plus sundry other places and the death of a rock star but if that isn't enough intrigue pause to raise a quizzical eyebrow regarding the Rev. Alphy (played by Rishi Nair). D.I. Keating (Robson Green) is the same as ever but while he and Alphy have bonded, there seems to be something going on in the vicar's background that makes him push away those that want to be close to him. One case this season delivers romantic possibilities but will he be amenable? (Hint: check out the trailer below) Read our guide below for how to watch "Grantchester" season 10 online now, live and on-demand through "Grantchester" season 10 premieres on Masterpiece via PBS and the PBS app on Sunday, June 15 at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT.. Don't have cable? Stream your local PBS channel through the PBS website and app. Not in the U.S. when "Grantchester" season 10 airs on PBS? Don't worry — as we explain below, you can watch it live or on-demand when you download a VPN. We recommend NordVPN. Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching "Grantchester" season 10 on PBS? Luckily, you can still watch the show online thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where you are in the world. So it's ideal for viewers who may travel a lot and don't want to miss their favorite shows. Our favourite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market – and you can find out why in our NordVPN review. There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 110+ countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get 70% off NordVPN with this deal and a FREE Amazon gift card when you purchase a two-year plan (Exclusive deal for Canadian and U.S. residents) Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.K. and want to view your usual U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to and stream "Grantchester" season 10 online on Masterpiece. In Canada, "Grantchester" season 10 will be available on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel from Sunday, June 15th at 9 p.m. ET. For extended access to PBS content, consider getting PBS Passport. That'll provide access to a range of the network's channels, like PBS Life and PBS Masterpiece. Membership costs a suggested donation of CA$5 per month, although prices will alter depending on your local station. Currently away from Canada? Download a VPN and connect to the services you enjoy free-of-charge back home, without having to register for any additional subscriptions. We recommend NordVPN. The U.K. release date for "Grantchester" season 10 is early 2026 on ITVX. All previous nine seasons are also available to catch here. However, if you're an American or Canadian citizen in the U.K. right now and just can't wait that long, a VPN will allow you to stream "Grantchester" season 10 online by unblocking the free PBS website. We recommend NordVPN. "Grantchester" season 10 premieres on ABCiView in Australia on Saturday, June 28 - this will be after PBS in the USA. Out of the country? Connect to your home streaming services when you download a VPN and watch TV shows, films and documentaries no matter where you are in the world. We recommend NordVPN. Season 10 Episode 01: A suspicious death interrupts the Grantchester Easter celebrations. Alphy attempts to use the case as a distraction from his personal life. (Wednesday, June 15) S10 E02: A death at the university plunges Geordie and Alphy into a world of academic adversaries, while Alphy faces a romantic complication. (Weds, June 18) S10 E03: Alphy's attempt to cook a romantic dinner is interrupted when a familiar face arrives unannounced. (Weds, June 25) S10 E04: Alphy and Geordie investigate witchcraft at a home for orphaned and disadvantaged chidren, but everything changes when a body is found. (Weds, July 2) S10 E05: Leonard's drinking leads to a prison cell, and the consequences escalate from there. (Weds, July 9) S10 E06: Alphy and Geordie investigate the murder of a rock band member, and Alphy struggles with some family history. (Weds, July 16) S10 E07: Cathy and Mrs. Chapman's new business venture faces a challenge, and Geordie tries to intervene in Alphy's personal life unbeknownst to Alphy. (Weds, July 23) S10 E08: Alphy and Geordie keep an eye on rising tensions as a controversial figure is invited to speak at the university. When a murder is committed, however, they disagree on how to approach the case. (Weds, July 30) Yes, there is a real village named Grantchester in the U.K. near Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. No, not right now. You can stream the drama for free in the U.S. on Masterpiece via PBS. Remember — use NordVPN to access your usual streaming service if you're outside the U.S.. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
House Military Subcommittee Member Susie Lee Bought This European Weapons Stock — It's Up 240% Since
Stock trading by US politicians has long been a controversial issue, sparking widespread calls for a ban on the practice. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in May reintroduced the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, which aims to prevent members of Congress from directly trading stocks that could create conflicts of interest. Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) is drawing attention for a stock trade that has raised eyebrows. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Many are rushing to According to public disclosures, Lee bought shares of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, worth between $1,000 and $15,000, on May 10, 2024. Since then, the stock is up 240% as of June 12. Lee sits on the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, which oversees funding for US military infrastructure and veterans' services. Rheinmetall is Germany's biggest arms manufacturer. It makes tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, military electronics, drone systems and mobility components. The company's chief executive, Armin Papperger, said during an earnings call in May that NATO chief Mark Rutte told him that the alliance's member states should be able to increase their military spending to 3.5% of their gross domestic product. Rutte recently said that he expects NATO members to agree to a broad defence spending target of 5% of GDP during a summit in The Hague later this month, Reuters reported. Trending: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged European nations to increase their defense spending and has suggested reducing American contributions to NATO. 'I said if you're not going to pay, we're not going to defend... if you're not going to pay your bills, we're not going to defend you,' Trump told reporters in March. Major European countries, including Germany, are launching a rearmament plan to boost the region's defenses. The EU leaders earlier this year agreed to potentially free up billions of euros to ensure Europe's is not the only notable stock trade by Lee. According to stock trading data platform Quiver Quantitative, Lee has been actively trading stocks since 2019. She sold casino operator Full House Resorts (NASDAQ:FLL) shares, worth up to $50,000 on March 28, according to her public also sold several key stocks in March, including Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR), MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM), Golden Entertainment Inc (NASDAQ:GDEN), Century Casinos Inc (NASDAQ:CNTY) and Carnival Corp. (NYSE:CCL), public filings show. Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – Image: AI Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article House Military Subcommittee Member Susie Lee Bought This European Weapons Stock — It's Up 240% Since originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
What's in RI's proposed $14.3B budget? Help for primary care, RIPTA funds and 'Taylor Swift tax'
PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island House Democrats have unveiled a new $14.3 billion state budget that seeks to bolster the finances of primary care doctors, hospitals and nursing homes without raising income taxes on the wealthy. The proposed tax and spending plan for the year starting July 1 would raise Medicaid reimbursement rates to inject, including federal dollars, $45 million into primary care, $38 million into hospitals and $12 million into nursing homes. Funding for primary care practices would come in part from a new health insurance fee estimated to generate $30 million per year. Although it spares the well-heeled an income tax hike, the House budget resurrects a tax proposed a decade ago on second homes worth more than $1 million, branded the "Taylor Swift tax" after the Watch Hill vacation home of the famous pop star. Proceeds would go to fund the state's low-income housing tax credit. The budget would inject $15 million into the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, the same amount of money lawmakers added to the statewide bus system a year ago but less than half of the $33 million the agency says it needs to plug a budget hole and avoid service cuts. The extra RIPTA funding will come from a 3-cent-per-gallon hike in the gas tax slated to go into effect July 1 and tweaks to the formula that distributes transportation funds. A 1-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax is already set to go into effect in July. The budget, a rewrite of the $14.2 billion tax and spending plan Gov. Dan McKee proposed in January, was quickly passed on an 11-3 vote by the House Finance Committee on June 10, setting it up for a vote before the full House on June 17. "All our colleagues have heard, the Senate has heard and we decided that we needed to take action now," House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi told reporters about the money for primary care. "We've heard that our reimbursement rates are low, and that's the primary cause of the health care shortage. We wanted to address that immediately." Senate President Valarie Lawson in an email applauded budget investments in healthcare, RIPTA and child care, suggesting it won't have much trouble passing that chamber. As expected, the House abandoned several of McKee's proposals, including a 50-cent hike in the cigarette tax, buying an office building from Citizens Bank in East Providence and a tax on digital advertising that the governor hoped would pull in $9.5 million next year and $23.5 million annually by 2030. But the House budget agreed with the governor on other proposals, including a new fee on electric vehicles and charging the state's 5% hotel tax to short-term rentals of whole homes on sites such as Airbnb. Other budget highlights include: Truck tolls. The House accepted McKee's plan to turn on the legal-again tolls on tractor trailers in the first half of 2026 and collect an estimated $10 million in state revenue. Washington Bridge: $22 million in state dollars to match federal funds to build a new westbound Washington Bridge. Education: The House proposal would spend $16.5 million more on education than McKee proposed and $59 million more than the current-year budget. Conveyance tax: A 63% increase in the real estate conveyance tax on all home purchases, which doubles for the portion of a sale over $800,000 is proposed with proceeds going to services for homeless Rhode Islanders. The tax increase is projected to raise $8.4 million next year. Airbnb: Extends the 5% state hotel tax to whole-house rentals, something lawmakers rejected last year but McKee's budget expects will generate $4.7 million per year, with a part of the collections also going to homeless services. DMV: A $1 hike in the Division of Motor Vehicles "technology fee" to $3.50 per transaction. Superman Building: The House budget included a provision, already passed as a standalone bill in the Senate, that would exempt the owner of the vacant Industrial Trust Tower in Providence from sales tax on construction materials while claiming a maximum in other state incentives. Parking: The state's 7% sales tax would be charged to parking, generating $3.2 million per year. Nicotine pouches: The tax applied to the wholesale cost of tobacco products would be expanded to synthetic nicotine pouches such as Zyn, generating $12 million per year. Vacation home tax: The "Taylor Swift Tax" would not go into effect until the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2026 and no estimate was provided of how much it would eventually raise. Longtime advocates of increasing taxes on Rhode Island's highest-earning residents hoped the budget pressure facing the state this year would convince top lawmakers that the time was now right to do it. They proposed a 3% surcharge on income above $625,000, which was estimated to generate $190 million in annual revenue. And as lawmakers waited for the final details of the budget to be hammered out on June 10, the Working Families Party camped outside the State House with a box truck showing illuminated messages of support for a tax hike, such as, "Save Rhode Island. Tax the Rich." But Shekarchi told reporters that lawmakers decided against a tax hike, at least until the state knows whether Congress is going to pass a tax cut bill that could slash Medicaid funding and shift more costs to states. "We don't know what's going to happen in Washington," Shekarchi said. "We don't know what changes are going to be made in the federal tax code. We felt comfortable enough to do the non-owner-occupied taxes over a million dollars at this time, and we will revisit that issue when we have more clarity from Washington." But Working Families Political Director Zack Mezera said what's happening in Washington is even more reason to make the "1% pay their fair share," not an excuse. 'Today's budget shows that state leadership would rather raise gas taxes for working families than increase taxes on millionaires," Mezera wrote in a news release. "As President Trump and his allies advance destructive cuts that could cause over 240,000 Rhode Islanders to lose Medicaid and hundreds of educators and care workers to lose their jobs, we need bold action to raise revenue now – otherwise working people and small businesses will be paying the price for years." With $15 million from the budget to fill a $33 million projected shortfall, it looks as though RIPTA is going to need to scale back what it does, but Shekarchi said it would not necessarily mean large layoffs or route cuts. "I think they need to look at everything," he said. "Maybe it's smaller buses, maybe it's addressing the ride schedule, maybe it's a slight fare increase, maybe it's looking at management positions. That's why we mandated, when we gave them $15 million last year, they do an efficiency study and find out the solutions." Despite the prospect of having to make painful cuts this summer, RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand said the bus system is "grateful" for the additional permanent state revenue. "The agency has long needed a consistent funding stream to allow us to better support getting Rhode Islanders to work, school and healthcare," he said in an email. "The last time the agency saw a permanent change in its funding structure was over ten years ago; this is a needed improvement, which we are thankful for." This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI's proposed $14.3B budget: Primary care; RIPTA; 'Taylor Swift tax'
