RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia State Police and the FBI are investigating a cyberattack that targeted the offices of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares earlier this week.
According to a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the office experienced a cyberattack on Wednesday.
The chief deputy attorney general stated that nearly all systems, including email (Outlook), VPN access, and internet connectivity to the office's network, were offline.
However, the attack was detected early, resulting in minimal damage.
“Hackers and scammers are generally motivated by one of two things. The first is money. The second thing that hackers and scammers look for is information," said Alex Nette, cybersecurity expert and founder of Hive Systems.
He noted that the attorney general’s office often files legal briefs, including non-public ones, which could hold valuable information for malicious actors.
“They’re trying to get ahead of a case, understand what the office is pursuing, or even just to interrupt the course of business for the office,” Nette added.
As the attorney general's office works to recover from the cyberattack, Nette emphasized the importance of cybersecurity preparedness.
“Not clicking on emails or messages that could contain malware or viruses, using strong passwords, updating devices regularly, and leveraging two-factor authentication can help keep you safe,” he said.
The attorney general's office has not responded to calls, emails, or interview requests from CBS 6 regarding the incident.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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