COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A whistleblower who revealed the danger of a ransomware attack on Columbus and subsequent data leak, will now only be permitted to share his research on compromised sensitive information with city officials that are suing him.
City Attorney Zach Klein announced Wednesday evening that his office reached an agreement with Connor Goodwolf on a preliminary injunction. Before making the deal, the researcher proved the severity of information stolen by the Rhysida ransomware group from Columbus servers, and alerted the public they were at risk.
“The city and our counsel met with (Goodwolf) several times over the past week,” Klein said. “While the content of these conversations is confidential, I can say that these discussions were positive and led to an agreement submitted to the court that prevents sensitive data from being disseminated, protects public safety and respects free speech.”
Klein’s office said the agreement protects sensitive data from being spread while allowing Goodwolf “to maintain a dialogue with the city regarding the breach.” The text of the document itself keeps Goodwolf’s ban from sharing any sensitive information from the leak publicly, which remains freely accessible on the dark web as of Wednesday. However, it does allow him to show that data to certain Columbus police officers or the city’s attorneys, and openly discuss any part of the leak that the city agrees falls under the Ohio Public Records Act.