Law enforcement officials’ info hitsWeb after apparent hack

Addresses posted online breach of law, attorney’s office says

The confidential addresses of more than 3,500 lawenforcement officials — including top Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office officials, federal judges and prosecutors — were released online in an apparent hack, according to the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.

The databasewas posted to a message board focused on law enforcement in Palm Beach County.

Multiple agencies are investigating, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Mike Edmondson, spokesman for Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, said the information breach is a violation of state and federal law. While the State Attorney’s Office is not investigating the incident, he said other local agencies are.

“Anyone in our office who would have had their addresses revealed have been made aware of it, particularly the folks that are in the street crime units and the violent crime units and the gang units,” he said.

FBI spokesman James Marshall could not confirm whether the agency was investigating the apparent hack. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

Members of law enforcement and other criminal justice officials can have their addresses removed from the public record under Florida public record laws. The law is in place to ensure their safety.

For officials to be considered exempt, they have to file paperwork with the county’sPropertyAppraiser.

County officials are investigating to determine where the information was taken from, and who is responsible.

PatPoston, directorof exemption services at the Palm Beach CountyProperty Appraiser’s Office, said officials there are investigating if the internal database came from their office.

He said as of Tuesday afternoon, it doesn’t appear their databasewas compromised by hackers. He added that his office is one ofmany that has access to those internal records.

“There about a half dozen other agencies that maintain confidential records,” he said.

Thewebsite to which the addresses were posted was started by former Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Deputy Mark Dougan. He said he sold the site in 2012 to friends of his who live in Russia.

Dougan said Tuesday he believes his Russian friends hacked into county records, but did not offer proof beyond that.

Edmondson and Poston could not confirm Dougan’s claims any Russians were involved in the suspected hack.