In Other News: 8,000 Ransomware Attacks, China Hacked US Gov Emails, IDHS Breach Impacts 700k

SecurityWeek’s roundup highlights a busy start to 2026, noting that, per 2025 figures from Emsisoft, more than 8,000 organisations were targeted by ransomware, with the number of active ransomware groups rising by about 30% on 2024.

The Illinois Department of Human Services disclosed a data breach affecting 700,000 individuals, tied to a mapping website exposed to the public; the breach exposed 32,000 Division of Rehabilitation Services customers and about 672,000 Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program recipients, with names not exposed and the access window spanning 2021/2022 to 2025. In another development, the Chinese threat group Salt Typhoon has hacked email systems used by congressional staff on US House committees, according to FT.

The piece also notes that the findings come alongside other stories such as hundreds of gen‑AI data policy violations and Taiwanese observations of intensified cyber activity against critical infrastructure.