They locate and disclose vulnerabilities in critical systems to protect users and state institutions.
So, it’s no small affair when a government entity takes legal action against these watchdogs.
The July 18 attack was attributed to the ransomware group Rhysida.
It resulted in the theft of 6.5 terabytes of sensitive data hosted on Columbus city servers.
Rhysida attempted to auction the information for $1.7 million in Bitcoin.
“The dark web-posted data is not readily available for public consumption,” city attorneys claimed.
“[The] defendant is making it so.”
“This is not about freedom of speech or whistleblowing,” he said.
“This is about the downloading and disclosure of stolen criminal investigatory records.”
Unsurprisingly, the restraining order has sparked controversy.
Ross accused the city of attempting to scapegoat him for its security failures.
He has indicated plans to seek legal recourse, potentially involving the American Civil Liberties Union.
