COLUMBUS, Ohio — A temporary restraining order is in effect against a cybersecurity expert who sounded the alarm about the extent of stolen city data on the dark web.
It comes more than a month after 10TV first reported about a foreign group that hacked the City of Columbus.
Cybersecurity expert Connor Goodwolf came forward weeks ago. Goodwolf is the name he uses for interviews and is not his legal name. He was able to download hundreds of thousands of people's personal information available on the dark web.
This week, Goodwolf discovered the Columbus police crime matrix was available on the dark web. It includes witness, suspect and undercover officer's personal information.
A day after Goodwolf came forward with that information, the city attorney's office filed a temporary restraining order against him, ordering him not to disclose any of the city's stolen data.
“I don't see the purpose of a lawsuit targeting just one person who is trying to help, reached out to city officials, reached out to the media because as soon as you restrain that person, others can pop up and look at this information because it is out there on the dark web for everyone to see,” said attorney and crisis communications expert Mark Weaver.
Goodwolf showed 10TV the databases that the hacker group Rhysida had released, and despite what Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther claimed about the information being encrypted and unusable, he had proof otherwise.
“I know a lot of reporters who have covered this believe that the city has not been straightforward about this and they have not told the truth about what is happening. This does feel like something of a distraction, away from how the city has handled this very serious problem,” Weaver said.
The city is suing claiming Goodwolf committed criminal acts by knowingly disseminating information and that he gained access to law enforcement database and caused serious public inconvenience and harm.
“I don't see how a negligence claim gets advanced because Goodwolf, whoever that is doesn't really owe a duty of care to the city. Didn't sound like it is criminal in any way. What the hackers did was criminal,” Weaver said.
The city also requested a temporary restraining order against Goodwolf to prevent him from giving reporters additional information he has found on the dark web. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Andria Noble was assigned the case. She worked in the city attorney's office before becoming a judge in January 2023. She recused herself and judge Kim Brown granted the restraining order.
“Some of these claims feel a little aggressive to me, but a judge has granted a TRO and has gotten some relief. It won't stop anyone else from looking at it on the dark web. It's hard to see how this cork really plugs a leak when the boat is full of leaks because anyone can go to the dark web,” Weaver said.
10TV reached out to Goodwolf and he said he is in the process of retaining an attorney.