Data breaches aren’t uncommon these days, but the scale of the latest one is shocking. Personal details of millions of U.S. residents holding Louisiana driving licenses have been exposed in a massive hack that appears to have its origins in Russia.
The cyber attack also affected American federal agencies, British Airways, and the BBC, but the worst hit group was those with Louisiana permits. Around 6 million records in the state were believed to have been leaked, Louisiana’s homeland security and emergency preparedness director, Casey Tingle, told reporters.
In addition to exposing names, addresses, and social security numbers, the hackers were also able to access driving license numbers, vehicle registration data, birth dates, heights, eye colors, and more, The Guardian reports.
A gang known as CIop with links to Russia claimed credit for the hack, which targeted organizations using MOVEit software designed to transfer large files. But Clop previously said it had no intention of exploiting data accessed from government agencies and the governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, said there was no evidence that the hackers had stolen, used or shared the info revealed in the latest attack.
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Nonetheless, Edwards wisely said that those who believe they have been affected should make moves to protect themselves. Suggested steps for Louisiana drivers include freezing their credit so that nobody else can open new accounts using their name, changing their digital passwords, and also obtaining a unique code number from the IRS to keep their tax returns, and tax refunds, safe. Louisianans are being asked to be extra vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
The U.S. Department of Energy was also confirmed to be exposed in the hack, but The Guardian reports on a warning from the American Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that multiple federal government agencies have been hit by the attack as well.
See below for important information from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. #lagov pic.twitter.com/BoCfcXbXjm
— Gov. John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) June 15, 2023