RIPTA

In 2021, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) experienced a data breach that exposed the personal information of thousands of its employees and Rhode Island state employees. The breach led to a 2022 class-action lawsuit filed by the Rhode Island ACLU against RIPTA and United Healthcare. As part of the settlement, a $350,000 fund was established to compensate affected individuals with up to $1,000 each, alongside five years of free credit monitoring. The exposed data included sensitive personal details, putting victims at risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities. The incident underscored vulnerabilities in RIPTA’s data protection measures, resulting in reputational damage and financial liabilities for the organization.

Source: https://www.abc6.com/ripta-united-healthcare-settle-data-breach-lawsuit-with-ri-aclu/

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ripta

"id": "rip2832128102325",
"linkid": "ripta",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "6/2021",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Thousands of employees',
                        'industry': 'Public Transportation',
                        'location': 'Rhode Island, USA',
                        'name': 'Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA)',
                        'type': 'Government Agency'},
                       {'customers_affected': 'Rhode Island state employees '
                                              '(scope unclear)',
                        'industry': 'Healthcare/Insurance',
                        'location': 'USA (Rhode Island operations)',
                        'name': 'United Healthcare',
                        'type': 'Corporation'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'Five years of free credit monitoring for affected '
                        'individuals',
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': 'Thousands',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (personally identifiable '
                                        'information)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personal data'},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2021',
 'description': 'A 2021 data breach exposed the personal data of thousands of '
                'RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transit Authority) and Rhode '
                'Island state employees, leading to a 2022 class-action '
                'lawsuit filed by the Rhode Island ACLU. A settlement was '
                'reached in 2024, establishing a $350,000 fund to compensate '
                'affected individuals (up to $1,000 each) and provide five '
                'years of free credit monitoring.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Likely negative (class-action lawsuit '
                                       'and public disclosure)',
            'data_compromised': 'Personal data of thousands of RIPTA and Rhode '
                                'Island state employees',
            'financial_loss': '$350,000 (settlement fund)',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (personal data exposed)',
            'legal_liabilities': 'Class-action lawsuit settled with $350,000 '
                                 'fund and credit monitoring'},
 'investigation_status': 'Settled (2024)',
 'references': [{'source': 'WLNE-TV (ABC 6)'}, {'source': 'Rhode Island ACLU'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class-action lawsuit (settled)'},
 'response': {'recovery_measures': 'Settlement fund ($350,000) and 5 years of '
                                   'free credit monitoring for affected '
                                   'individuals'},
 'title': 'RIPTA and United Healthcare Data Breach Settlement (2021)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}