Roanoke Says May Data Breach Started With Phishing Email

The city of Roanoke said a data incident that triggered Aug. 24 notification letters stemmed from a May 6 phishing email that appeared legitimate, according to a city release summarized by Cardinal News.

Investigators concluded phishing software scanned the employee's email contacts to harvest login credentials. The city said it locked the compromised account after one day and worked with its insurer on a cybersecurity review. Officials have not said how many people may have had Social Security numbers or other personal information accessed.

Notification letters arrived months later due to the amount of data investigated, the city said, and Roanoke is working with the insurer on faster alerts without sacrificing accuracy.

• Email City Council of Roanoke:
  Joseph Cobb: joseph.cobb@roanokeva.gov,
  Terry McGuire: terry.mcguire@roanokeva.gov,
  Nicolas Hagen: nick.hagen@roanokeva.gov,
  Phazhon Nash: phazhon.nash@roanokeva.gov,
  Vivian Sanchez-Jones: vivian.sanchez-jones@roanokeva.gov,
  Peter Volosin: peter.volosin@roanokeva.gov,
  Evelyn Powers: evelyn.w.powers@roanokeva.gov

• Email City Council of Roanoke:
  Joseph Cobb: joseph.cobb@roanokeva.gov,
  Terry McGuire: terry.mcguire@roanokeva.gov,
  Nicolas Hagen: nick.hagen@roanokeva.gov,
  Phazhon Nash: phazhon.nash@roanokeva.gov,
  Vivian Sanchez-Jones: vivian.sanchez-jones@roanokeva.gov,
  Peter Volosin: peter.volosin@roanokeva.gov,
  Evelyn Powers: evelyn.w.powers@roanokeva.gov