Summit County development board meeting disrupted by inappropriate content.
During a recent meeting of the Summit County Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), attendees were subjected to the display of pornographic and antisemitic imagery. The incident occurred during a public Zoom session, wich was accessible via a publicly shared link.
The authority has implemented cybersecurity measures and is actively working to strengthen them following the breach. A spokesperson for Rea, Becky Boyd, stated that the company was made aware of the “unfortunate situation” and was gathering more information. Boyd clarified that the incident was “in no way related to Rea or any of our team members that were in attendance.”
Further inquiry by Rea indicated that “external guests” were responsible for displaying the inappropriate content. Bridenstine, a representative from the DFA, confirmed this, noting that the DFA’s IT providers reviewed meeting logs. These logs indicated that existing security protocols prevented unauthorized individuals from gaining control of the meeting without the cybersecurity team’s approval. Multiple reviews confirmed the security of the system.
While most board members joined the meeting remotely via Zoom, some staff members and guests were present in the board room.Bridenstine emphasized that the meeting utilized a public URL for a public session,placing it outside the DFA’s direct IT control. She stated, “This event is certainly upsetting for all that were involved in the meeting. However,the reality is that this was a public URL for a public meeting,and this was outside of our surroundings and IT control. We will do all we can to mitigate any future occurrences of this nature.”
In response to the incident, the DFA is exploring alternatives to Zoom for future meetings. Following the disruption,all participants who were logged into the meeting received a new link. This measure ensured continued access for the public while preventing further unauthorized entry. The remainder of the meeting proceeded without further incident, though the official minutes will need to address the disruption.
Chief Financial Officer Chad Mayle apologized to board members after rejoining the Zoom session,humorously attributing the disruption to his earlier comment that the meeting would be “boring.” Dan Rice, vice chair of the board and president and CEO of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, commented on the incident, stating, “There are evil people out there.So don’t worry about it.”
