In April 2025, Shawn Duffy, President and CEO of Duffy Compliance Services, appeared on WBAL-TV to provide expert insight into a significant cybersecurity breach targeting the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO).
The breach, which reportedly occurred in March, compromised 325 gigabytes of sensitive data, including confidential juvenile case records and internal police documents. A cybercriminal group identifying itself as Kairos has taken responsibility for the attack, leaking the stolen data on the dark web after failed negotiations with city officials.
“This could be very dangerous,” Duffy warned during the WBAL-TV interview. “If the hackers can’t exploit the data themselves, they often share or sell it to others. That’s the real threat—once it’s out there, it spreads.”
The stolen files reportedly include detailed juvenile offender reports, complete with names, birthdates, arrest information, and case outcomes—data that is protected under Maryland confidentiality laws. Also exposed were internal affairs documents containing the names and contact details of officers involved in police complaints dating back to 2022.
While officials have not yet confirmed the exact method used to access the SAO’s systems, Duffy suspects that phishing may have played a role. “These attacks often begin by tricking employees into revealing credentials or clicking malicious links,” he explained.
Maryland law mandates that affected individuals and the state attorney general be notified of such breaches. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether those notifications have been issued.
The SAO has released a statement confirming their collaboration with outside cybersecurity partners and federal law enforcement agencies. “The focus now,” Duffy emphasized, “is forensic analysis—understanding how the breach happened and preventing further damage.”
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