Virginia Museum Shuts Down Website Amid IT Breach

An information technology system security breach detected late last month prompted the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to shut down its website for a state investigation, the museum announced this week.

There’s no evidence that the breach is connected to the ransomware attack on Virginia legislative agencies’ IT systems, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Virginia State Police are investigating a ransomware attack on state legislative agencies, discovered late Sunday night.

There’s also no evidence that personal or financial information was accessed or compromised, spokeswoman Jan Hatchette said. The museum said it hopes to restore the website by the end of the week.

The museum, an independent agency of the state, said the Virginia Information Technologies Agency detected a compromise in the website in late November, along with “evidence indicating an existing security threat from an unauthorized third-party.”

Hatchette said the museum took the website offline while the breach is investigated, contained and the website’s functionality is restored. A temporary website was put up “until the restoration is complete,” she said.

Related: Northern Virginia School System Hacked, Data Held for Ransom

Related: Virginia Tech Says it Was Targeted in 2 Recent Cyberattacks