Meriden and Connecticut: Cybercriminals say they hacked the city of Meriden, CT and stole data

Ransomware Group Inc Claims Attack on Meriden, Connecticut

A cybercriminal group known as Inc has taken responsibility for a ransomware attack on Meriden, Connecticut, disrupting city services for weeks. Officials first reported system outages on February 17, citing delayed water bills and ongoing restoration efforts in the city clerk and tax collector offices over a month later.

Inc, which operates a data leak site, posted sample documents to support its claim, though Meriden officials have not confirmed the group’s involvement, and details of the breach including compromised data, attack methods, ransom demands, or payments remain unconfirmed. Mayor Kevin Scarpati acknowledged an "attempted interruption of internet services" but assured that emergency services remained unaffected.

Who is Inc?
Emerging in July 2023, Inc is a ransomware gang targeting healthcare, education, and government sectors. The group uses spear phishing and software vulnerabilities to deploy malware that both steals data and encrypts systems, demanding ransom for decryption. Since its inception, Inc has claimed 704 attacks, with 175 confirmed by victims 25 of which were government entities. In 2026 alone, it has claimed 124 attacks, 11 of which were verified.

Broader Impact on U.S. Government Entities
Ransomware attacks on government systems can cripple critical services, from bill payments to emergency dispatch, forcing agencies to choose between paying ransoms or facing prolonged downtime and data loss. In 2026, Comparitech researchers recorded 10 confirmed ransomware attacks on U.S. government targets, including Jackson County, IN (which refused to pay), Foster City, CA (recently restored after a March attack), and others in New Jersey, Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Michigan.

About Meriden
Located between New Haven and Hartford, Meriden is a city of over 60,000 residents in New Haven County, Connecticut. The attack highlights the growing threat ransomware poses to municipal operations.

Source: https://www.comparitech.com/news/cybercriminals-say-they-hacked-the-city-of-meriden-ct-and-stole-data/

City of Meriden, CT cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/city-of-meriden

"id": "CIT1774888481",
"linkid": "city-of-meriden",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "2/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'municipal',
                        'location': 'New Haven County, Connecticut, USA',
                        'name': 'Meriden, Connecticut',
                        'size': '60,000 residents',
                        'type': 'government'}],
 'attack_vector': ['spear phishing', 'software vulnerabilities'],
 'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'yes'},
 'date_detected': '2026-02-17',
 'description': 'A cybercriminal group known as Inc has taken responsibility '
                'for a ransomware attack on Meriden, Connecticut, disrupting '
                'city services for weeks. Officials reported system outages on '
                'February 17, citing delayed water bills and ongoing '
                'restoration efforts in the city clerk and tax collector '
                'offices over a month later.',
 'impact': {'downtime': 'weeks',
            'operational_impact': 'disrupted city services, delayed water '
                                  'bills',
            'systems_affected': ['city clerk offices',
                                 'tax collector offices']},
 'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'yes', 'data_exfiltration': 'yes'},
 'references': [{'source': 'Comparitech'}],
 'response': {'recovery_measures': 'ongoing restoration efforts'},
 'threat_actor': 'Inc',
 'title': 'Ransomware Attack on Meriden, Connecticut',
 'type': 'ransomware'}