The Georgia Technology Authority is investigating a “phishing attack” targeting the Governor’s Mansion.

Authority spokeswoman Paula Calhoun said a breach was made Wednesday at Gov. Nathan Deal’s official residence in Buckhead. She said it was not yet clear whether information was compromised.

“While we are not able to share information about IT security matters, agency leadership has been in contact with the governor’s office, and we are actively working the issue according to our plan for investigating cybersecurity incidents,” Calhoun said Thursday.

Phishing attacks are one of the most common forms of online trickery. They take place when a hacker sends a text or email with a link that appears to be legitimate. The scammers then try to trick users into entering personal data, such as financial information or passwords, that the hackers then steal for themselves.

Deal aide Chris Riley suggested that state and federal security officials were getting “excitable” after a volunteer apparently accidentally infected the Wi-Fi network at the Governor’s Mansion with what he called a “phishing virus.”

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(Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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