Louisiana cyber attack: Steps to take to protect information
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) -- Louisiana government officials want people to take action to protect their information after a major cyber attack resulting in a data breach involving the Office of Motor Vehicles.
According to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Gov. John Bel Edwards was briefed on the cyber attack at 11 a.m. Thursday.
GOHSEP said the OMV was affected by the MOVEit data breach and that there aren't any clear signs that users' OMV information was sold, used or shared.
“MOVEit, a file transfer service used by governments and companies all over the world, was the victim of a cyber attack. OMV data was exposed. We’ve had no contact with the hackers and no indication data has been sold or shared. But we’re encouraging folks to protect themselves,” Eric Holl, Edwards' deputy chief of staff, said on Twitter.
The attackers might have access to residents’ names, addresses, social security numbers, birthdates, height, weight, eye color, driver’s license numbers and vehicle registration information.
On Friday, GOHSEP Director Casey Tingle said an investigation is ongoing into the data breach.
"Everyone should take this seriously and implement the protective measures that we published yesterday," said Tingle.
He urged people to freeze their credit and recommended best practices including changing passwords, protecting IRS tax refunds, and checking social security benefits.
When asked about the current level of security, Tingle said software has been updated with the patches the vendor has put out and that GOHSEP is working with federal partners about further measures to take.
Over six million records were breached, Tingle said.
"But that is duplicative, right, because some people have both vehicle registration and driver's license," he said.
Residents can get updates at nextsteps.la.gov.
What you need to do
The GOHSEP suggests residents follow the steps below:
Prevent unauthorized new accounts
Credit can be frozen for free, stopping others from opening new accounts and borrowing money under your name. To freeze, contact one of the following major credit bureaus.
Also, request and review credit reports to look for suspicious activity
- Experian
- 1-888-397-3742
- www.experian.com/freeze
- Equifax
- TransUnion
- 888-909-8872
- https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
Change all passwords
Consider changing all passwords for online accounts and use two-factor authentication when applicable.
Protect tax refund with IRS
Request an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS by signing up here or calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
Check Social Security benefits
People who are eligible to receive social security benefits should consider registering for a ssa.gov account here to prevent theft. If you suspect social security fraud, call the Office of the Inspector General hotline at 1-800-269-0271, the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, or file a complaint here.
Report suspected identity theft
If you suspect fraudulent activity, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357 or click here immediately.
Click here for additional tips to protect your identity.