Maldden alld a Vol. 32, No. 11 den AADD -FREEBy Steve Freker T he news was announced Tuesday night in the very seat of municipal government, where she ran proceedings with precision, ethics and civic pride for over three decades. It took the air out of the room and the tears fl owed freely thereafter. Karen Anderson, 68, died on Tuesday, March 14, at her home in Malden, after a brief illness. Recognized as a true icon in Malden city government, both during her tenure and to this day, she served as City Clerk and chair of the Board of Registrar of Voters for 33 years – from 1984 until her retirement in 2017 – the longest serving keeper of those posts in municipal history. Malden City Council President Barbara Murphy, her voice breaking, made the announcement immediately after a pair of presentations by city departHappy St. Patrick's Day to all our readers and advertisers! CTE OCAT AT www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday City mourns passing of a Malden icon, Karen Anderson, at 68 Former City Clerk and Board of Registrar of Voters chair served 33 years, longest in municipal history 617-387-2200 T he January 25 cyberattack on the City of Malden’s municipal digital information systems hit closer to home than may have been thought. Very close to home. Malden’s Information TechKaren Anderson passed away on March 14 at 68. She was the retired, 33-year Malden City Clerk from 1984-2017. (Courtesy Photo) ment heads in the middle of the regular Tuesday City Council meeting. A recess was called by the Ward 5 Councillor immediately after the news was made public. One of the most veteran City Councillors in this term, CounPASSING | SEE PAGE 8 Malden Democratic City Committee Host Spring Awards Breakfast nology Director Anthony Rodrigues, who oversaw a 24-hour a day, “full court press” in response to their breach, told the Malden City Council on Tuesday night that his own wife’s personal Social Security number was compromised, along with a small number of other city personnel. Malden Councillor-at-Large Karen Colón Hayes also revealed that she, too, was a victim of the cyber-breach. Rodrigues assured the Councillors that all those whose personal information was compromised in the attack were getting extensive follow-up safety assistance and that no reports of any malfeasance with any type of fraud to the Malden municipal employees had been reported to date. “It’s an ongoing investigation and we are very much on top of it,” Rodrigues said. E Friday, March 17, 2023 Some private information of city personnel was compromised, but safety steps were taken post-incident By Steve Freker Malden IT Director Anthony Rodrigues provided the City Council with details on the January cyberattack of digital systems. The major fear in the aftermath of the cyberattack was a potential “ransomware” operation, whereby an outside cyberattacker would freeze or encrypt city digital records or other information and either force a literal ransom payoff to cyber criminals, or either keep encrypted or destroy the records/information. “Unfortunately, it happens every day, all over the world. We were lucky we identified SAFETY | SEE PAGE 4 MHS’ Junior Varieties 2023 Lights Up the Stage Alex Rodriques sang “A Thousand Years” at the recent Junior Varieties 2023 at the Jenkins Auditorium. See page 16 for story and photo highlights. (Advocate Photos/Henry Huang) $3.48 GALLON We accept: MasterCard * Visa * & Discover Price Subject to Change without notice WELL DESERVED: State Representative Paul Donato was recognized by Democratic Whip/ Congresswoman Katherine Clark for 50 years of service to his constituents of Malden and Medford during the recent Malden Democratic City Committee breakfast. See page 15 for photo highlights. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) 100 Gal. Min. 24 Hr. Service 781-286-2602
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