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Westchester County Websites Hacked

YONKERS, NY (WAMC) - Four days after a hack attack shut them down, Westchester County's websites are back in operation. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
 

The security breach affected several of Westchester County's offices, including the county's homepage, as well as pages pointing to the county executive, the DA, the county clerk and the Board of Legislators. The hacker left a signature message on the sites mocking the county's computer security, saying "Security is a joke! ... Your box owned by Mr.XHat."

Westchester County Deputy Communications Director Donna Greene emphasizes no important data was compromised. Some pages remained accessible. She notes that IT staffers are working to ensure that the restored websites remain secure. Greene explained the hacker found a website vulnerability to exploit. Rick Mathews with the National Center for Security & Preparedness at the University at Albany, says these types of threats are common hacker practices. Mathews urges all computer users, businesses, governments and citizens - be vigilant when it comes to protecting your data. Security experts say many "hack attacks" originate outside North America and are difficult to trace.

© Copyright 2012, WAMC

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.