Hacker Hijacks City's Homepage

Residents who visited the Lake Forest City website early Wednesday morning were greeted with an ominous black screen and the message “Hacked by Kyfx In Your Server.”

City officials were able to repair the breach within hours, and there was no threat to the city’s data network, said Deputy City Manager Debra Rose. However, the unsettling breach raised some red flags about the city’s cyber security, said City Councilman Adam Nick.

“It is troubling that our City’s web site has been hacked, and even though there was reportedly no damage done, it is a red flag. A cyber-attack on our City’s Network, or any part thereof, is an attack on our citizens and could prove disruptive to them and their way of life,” said Nick. “I have called for a full investigation and for testing of our system to ascertain where the vulnerabilities are and get them mended as soon as humanly possible. We are fortunate to have a competent City manager and staff who will stay on top of this all the way to execution.”

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The hack occurred when the contractor that maintains the city’s site had its server infected with malware. The server is not connected to the city’s data systems, and confidential records and residents’ personal information where not threatened, explained Rose.

The contractor, Civica has since repaired its system vulnerability.

“A patch was installed to prevent any further complications, and a complete scan of the server has already been performed to verify that there are no additional threats,” said Jake Brenner, communications manager for Civica. “We strive to maintain the most stable and secure platform to power your community.”

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