Apex officials say they have pulled back personal information stolen in a July 2024 cyberattack that may have hit roughly 22,000 people. Town leaders credit a court order and a U.S.-based cloud provider for giving them a path to retrieve and review the files, and they report no evidence so far that the data has shown up on the dark web. The recovery follows months of forensic work and a long trail of utility billing headaches for residents.
As reported by CBS17, town officials said about 22,000 people may have had information compromised, and a third party team is now working to identify and notify anyone affected. According to the station, officials say they do not expect the stolen files to be posted to the dark web because of the legal action taken. While that review is ongoing, the town has not released a full list of the types of records involved.
Town timeline and investigation
According to the Town of Apex’s official incident update, staff discovered the intrusion on July 2, 2024, and treated it as an attempted ransomware attack. The town says it brought in the North Carolina Joint Cybersecurity Task Force and rebuilt its network from scratch, wiping affected systems by July 8, 2024, and reports no evidence of continuing unauthorized activity. Officials also say they obtained a court order to recover materials that would help determine whose data was taken and hired outside experts to analyze the files. The Town of Apex notes that the process is complicated and will not be quick.
How the files were recovered
Wake County Superior Court granted a temporary restraining order that town officials say forced the cloud account holding the stolen files to give Apex direct access, a move the town describes as necessary because the vendor would not release the data without a judge’s order. Dan Greene told CBS17 that having the data parked with a U.S.-based provider made that legal play possible. Town Manager Randy Vosburg said the aggressive court move could offer a roadmap for other local governments trying to protect residents’ privacy, according to the station.
Billing fallout and local impact
The breach did not just expose data, it also snarled Apex’s billing systems, leaving residents with delayed statements and catch up bills. WRAL reported that the town brought in outside consultants to review utility billing after the incident, and later audits triggered billing corrections as systems were rebuilt. Town officials say they are working to get operations back to normal and resolve any billing disputes while the data review continues.
What residents should do
For anyone worried their information could be involved, experts recommend keeping a close eye on bank and credit accounts, updating passwords on any affected services, and considering a fraud alert or a credit freeze. The federal government’s IdentityTheft.gov site offers a step by step recovery plan and templates for reporting identity theft. Apex officials say they will notify anyone whose data is confirmed to be affected, in line with state law…