WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The investigation into a potential data breach in Luzerne County is moving forward, according to Luzerne County officials, after they say someone hacked into a county email account. County officials are calling it a "data security event."
The I-Team's Andy Mehalshick joins us live at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
County officials say there is no evidence at this point in time that the information that was accessed in that county email account has led to any illegal use of that information, but County Manager Romilda Crocamo says the county is taking every step possible to prevent that from happening.
Luzerne County officials say they became aware of suspicious activity associated with one email account on July 28.
That account was immediately suspended, and an investigation was launched.
County manager Romilda Crocamo issued the following statement to the I-Team:
On July 28, 2025, the County became aware of suspicious activity associated with one (1) account within its email environment. County officials promptly took steps to suspend the account and launched an investigation. The County is currently working with cybersecurity specialists to determine the nature and scope of the incident. However, the County has determined that this was a very limited unauthorized access event and there was no disruption to County services. We posted the notice of the event on our website and sent notice to two (2) local newspapers. If we discover that any personal information has been affected, we will promptly notify the individuals involved.
Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo
"Every time I open my account, I assume there's going to be something ridiculous in my in-box," Luzerne County Councilman Harry Haas
Councilman Haas says the county has learned a lot since the 2019 data hack, when county services were disrupted with a ransomware attack.
"It's a challenge, but our IT Department does a really great job. They encourage us if you see something shady or fishy to let them know about it. They can kind of put a stop to it and prevent other disasters from really manifesting," Haas said.
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Wilkes-Barre resident Linda Joseph says data hacks like this have become all too common, and she pays very close attention to her own accounts.
"Well, that's very concerning, especially when they get personal information and things like that, or even government information. Unfortunately, it's happening more and more. So yeah, it's concerning," Joseph stated.
County officials have set up a call center number for anyone who has questions or concerns about this data breach.
