Boston union loses $6.4M in cyberattack

A cyberattack connected a Boston-based labour union’s wellness fund resulted successful nan nonaccomplishment of $6.4 million, but it does not look that nan individual accusation of members was stolen aliases compromised, national officials said.

Federal and section rule enforcement agencies were notified of nan onslaught astatine Pipefitters Local 537 that was discovered Feb. 7 and nan national retained a cyber information forensic investigator, national business manager/financial secretary-treasurer Daniel O’Brien said successful a connection to members.

"This is very unfortunate news; but please beryllium assured that thing astir your benefits pinch Local 537 has changed and our wellness money remains well-funded," O’Brien wrote.

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Law enforcement is "optimistic" that they will beryllium capable to return nan immense mostly of nan stolen funds, he said. The money is besides insured.

The FBI successful Boston declined to comment.

A Boston pipefitters national was nan target of a cyberattack wherever complete $6.4 cardinal was stolen.

O'Brien described nan breach arsenic a societal engineering cyberattack and said backstage investigators and a cybersecurity institution person completed a reappraisal of nan money office’s email server and concluded that location was nary breach aliases hack.

Employees are receiving precocious cybersecurity training and changes person been made to nan wellness fund's wiring policy.

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"In closing, it has been reiterated passim nan investigation to punctual our rank to beryllium mindful of what we put retired online and connected societal media, arsenic these are easy places for cybercriminals to summation accusation and find imaginable targets," O'Brien said.

The national has astir 3,000 members and represents pipefitters, welders and HVAC-refrigeration workers.

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Government agencies, businesses, wellness attraction organizations, and schoolhouse systems astir nan world person been nan targets of cyberattacks recently. In September, nan Justice Department charged 3 Iranian citizens pinch ransomware attacks that targeted powerfulness companies, section governments and mini businesses and nonprofits.