Richland hit by data breach involving city, 911 emergency services

The city of Richland confirmed that its computer servers were breached through the Benton County Emergency Services system on May 15, compromising personal information for area residents.

It said the breach appears to have mostly impacted city systems, but may have exposed personal information, including but not limited to the names, addresses, contact details and possibly other sensitive data.

The city of Richland has about 63,000 residents, but the emergency services system includes 911 emergency dispatch services throughout Benton and Franklin counties, with a population of about 312,000.

It was not immediately clear Friday morning if the breach extended beyond Richland.

The city’s cybersecurity systems detected the breach, triggering an immediate response to contain its systems.

The city has hired a consultant to assess the situation and possible damage and to strengthen measures to prevent future exposure.

The city said it will share more details in the coming week and will provide ways citizens can protect their data via social media updates and its website.

The city’s home page is ci.richland.wa.us.

Follow it on Facebook at facebook.com/RichlandWa/

This story was originally published May 17, 2024 at 12:50 PM.