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Township official details December cyberattack, says ransom demand unpaid and call center set up
Summary
A township official told the Upper Township Committee that suspicious activity discovered Dec. 8, 2025, led to a third-party forensic investigation, law-enforcement notifications and June mail notifications after data verification; the township said a ransom was demanded and not paid.
Jim, a township official, told the Upper Township Committee that "On December 8th, 2025, the township discovered suspicious activity within our network," and that the township immediately isolated systems and engaged a third-party forensic specialist.
The statement, delivered at the committee meeting, said the township reported the incident to local, state and federal authorities between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, worked with the New Jersey State Police Cyber Crimes Unit, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and the FBI, and then carried out an exhaustive review of the affected data before notifying residents. "Rushing this process would have resulted in inaccurate notices," Jim said, explaining the six-month gap between discovery and mailed notifications in June.
According to Jim, the forensic review determined that the unauthorized actor accessed and acquired information that "may include names, dates of birth, medical information, health insurance information, social security numbers, driver's license numbers, and financial account information." He also said the township received a ransom demand and that the ransom was not paid by the township.
The township described some operational limits on what it can disclose publicly while investigations and remediation continue, but said it has implemented "significant remediation measures" to strengthen defenses. The committee said the township established a dedicated toll-free call center (1-877-429-9759) to help residents check their status and answer individual inquiries.
Why it matters: The breach potentially exposed personally identifying and health-related data for residents and prompted multiagency involvement and a months-long forensic review. The township framed the notification delay as necessary verification to avoid false positives while law enforcement and outside specialists worked to secure systems.
Next steps: The township said it will continue to coordinate with law enforcement, maintain the call center for affected residents and pursue additional remediation; no further technical detail about vulnerabilities was released at the meeting to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation.
