SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Since October of 2024, the City of Sheboygan has been investigating a cyberattack on its system.
Only recently have officials begun to reveal the breadth of the incident and notify the victims.
Watch: Victim criticizes Sheboygan's handling of 2024 cyberattack:
Beatriz Amador's stomach sank when she checked her mail last week and came across a letter from the city.
The letter read, “The City learned that some of your personal information was involved in a data security incident.”
“Having it be your city where you should feel protected and safe from this type of crime — Definitely, I was shocked and then came anger.”
The incident traces back to Halloween when the City of Sheboygan fell victim to a ransomware attack, which was followed by an immediate forensic investigation.
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This investigation revealed that “significant upgrades [are] required for the network to reduce risk in the future," according to the December release.
Despite the seriousness of the breach, residents like Amador expressed frustration over the limited information that has been shared since the incident.
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“This has been compromised since Oct. 31 of 2024, and yet this is the first I’m hearing of this,” she stated. “We’re sitting ducks with the fact that we don’t know if our data will be utilized.”
The city informed Amador through her letter that they learned the extent of the data breach on May 14, affecting nearly 68,000 people—some Sheboyganites and others from across the country.
The compromised information varies by individual but could include names, birthdays, Social Security numbers, license plate or vehicle ID numbers, and/or driver’s license or state IDs.
For those whose Social Security numbers have been compromised, the city is offering one year of identity protection.
Other victims, like Amador, are only being offered free credit monitoring.
“That’s the bare minimum they can do,” she remarked. “It’s just monitoring your credit. This is something that I can do for free.”
As of now, city officials state that there is “no evidence of the misuse of anyone's information.” Nevertheless, Beatriz remains vigilant, keeping a close eye on her accounts.
She said she wants officials to "be transparent with the people of Sheboygan. You owe that to us, and to make it right. This is not okay. This is unacceptable.”
If you or someone you know received a letter regarding the data breach, contact the call center at 833-998-9835.
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