Akron city computer system hacked

Official: personal information compromised

5/17/2013

AKRON, Ohio — Officials in Akron say the city’s Web site and internal systems have been hacked — and names, Social Security numbers and credit card numbers were compromised.

Deputy Mayor Rick Merolla said the attacks, apparently by a Turkish group that has claimed credit, got past the city’s firewall sometime Thursday.

Merolla tells the Akron Beacon Journal that it appears the hackers got into the city’s internal systems and were able to access taxpayer information and tax preparer information. Some hacked files were posted on the Internet.

He said the city is working with the FBI’s cybercrimes unit on the situation.

Merolla said all the firewalls were up to date, and he’s “perplexed” as to how the hacking occurred. He said he doesn’t think the city was targeted specifically.