A cybersecurity expert says a Romanian-based organized crime gang is behind the recent attack on Ohio's unemployment system — an attack that's left thousands of unemployed Ohioans locked out of their accounts and without benefits.
Cybersecurity experts told News 5 there has been a surge in post-pandemic attacks on government agencies like Ohio’s unemployment system, and the reason is two familiar letters: AI.
When we introduced you to Stephen Lessick last week, he was locked out of his unemployment account.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
"How long is this going to go on?" he said. “How long will we have to sit here and have to fight like this?"
So he waited, and waited. One day, after five hours on hold, a worker at Ohio’s unemployment office finally answered his phone call. She confirmed what he feared. He was the victim of the latest cyber-attack targeting Ohio’s unemployment system.
“It feels like they’re behind the game,” Lessick said.
Blake Hall, a cybersecurity expert, says they are, and the reason is that cybercriminals have started using artificial intelligence or AI to help them steal your tax dollars.
“States are operating on antiquated technology — like 1980's technology,” Hall said. “There's been some progress since the pandemic, but not nearly fast enough.”
Hall is the co-founder and CEO of ID.me, a cybersecurity company that works with government agencies.
He says West African, Chinese and Eastern European cyber-criminals, like the Romanian-based group blamed for the recent attack on Ohio’s unemployment system, are well-versed in how to weaponize the new technology.
“We have our aging infrastructure up against some of the most powerful adversaries in the world, and America is on the wrong side of that equation, unfortunately,” Hall said.
He showed us how a cybercriminal tried to use AI to scam his company.
The video chat shows a worker for the company going through the video verification process: “I'm just here to make sure that and the video call matches the documents submitted. And it looks like you do, so the process is now complete.”
Hall showed that this attacker overlaid a synthetic face over his own face while going through ID.Me’s video chat verification. But the worker noticed something wasn't right.
“There might be some issues with this call,” the company worker said when he noticed something was awry.
Hall said it's only a matter of time before technology like that is perfected.
“These cyber-attacks, these criminals, whatever you want to call them, are two steps ahead always, and I don’t think it’s going to away — it’s the nature of the world that we live in,” Lessick said.
In the meantime, he is still waiting for benefits to help pay his bills.
“Will I be able to pay my mortgage? Will I be able to go grocery shopping? Can I pay the medical bills that are coming next week?” Lessick said. “Nobody wants to be here. It’s stressful enough trying to find a job.”
Hall also raised concerns about Ohio's cyber security structure. He the state does not meet U.S Department of Commerce standards for remote identify proofing. Hall said so far, states that follow those standards appear to be less vulnerable to the cyber-attacks.
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