Planned Parenthood of Montana says it discovered a data breach last week. The attackers may have already posted some info online.

Planned Parenthood president Martha Fuller says the attack was discovered on Aug. 28. She says her IT team immediately took security measures to mitigate the damage. Fuller says they’re investigating what information may have been taken.

The attackers are known as Ransom Hub and federal officials have warned that the group is targeting health care facilities. Planned Parenthood is aware that the group posted a file online allegedly containing data it took from the nonprofit.

Kaustubh Medhe with Cyble, a cyber threat intelligence & research firm, says Ransom Hub is a financially motivated group.

“The ransomware groups are interested in selling this data or extorting a ransom from the group to prevent them from suffering reputational damage,” said Medhe.

Other abortion providers have been victims of cyberattacks, including Planned Parenthood L.A. and the organization’s national website. Cybersecurity experts say these attacks can be both politically and financially motivated.

They worry that patients can suffer legal consequences if they live in states where abortion is criminalized or suffer personal attacks if their data is sold or released by attackers.

Hot, dry air will be moving in for Friday and this weekend. While that is good for people getting more summer activities in, the fire danger and fire behavior will increase. And while air quality is generally clean across most of the state, smoke will also increase by late this weekend possibly resulting in poor air quality. Right now and for Friday, the flow is coming from the north and the east with cleaner air. Friday will be a warm late summer day with highs in the 80s to around 90 under sunny skies and clean air. Saturday will be warm and sunny with highs in the 80s and 90s under sunny skies and clean air again. There will be a light east wind. Sunday the upper level flow will switch around to the southwest, pushing wildfire smoke across Big Sky. A few isolated thunderstorms will pop over the western mountains, including around Helena. Highs will be hot in the 90s. Monday will be a breezy, hot and dry day with highs in the 80s and 90s. Smoke could be thick and air quality could be poor. Changes begin on Tuesday with a cold front dropping south out of Canada. A few isolated thunderstorms are possible and highs will start cooling off, only reaching the 80s. A storm system will move in from the Pacific on Wednesday with scattered showers and thunderstorms, and cooler highs in the 70s. Widespread showers are possible on Thursday with cooler temperatures in the 60s, and the chance at higher elevation snow. This storm should bring rain and cooler temperatures to Oregon, Idaho and southwest Montana where a lot of the smoke is coming from.

Have a great day,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist

POLSON — A one-of-a-kind dragon boat festival is returning to Polson this weekend for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Montana Dragon Boat Festival is being put on by the Silver Lining Foundation which is the first and only all breast cancer survivor dragon boat and outrigger canoe team in Montana.

The festival — which is being held on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at the fairgrounds — will include vendors, a vibrant cultural celebration, and of course, the main attraction is the dragon boat races.

The races begin at 8:45 a.m. and are anticipated to run until 2:30 p.m.

Visit https://www.silverliningmt.org/dragon-boat for more information.