A huge data breach at the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles exposed the private information of 3.5 million Oregon residents on Thursday, the department announced.
After learning of the hack from the Oregonian/OregonLive, ODOT says it took quick action to safeguard its systems, but the agency still estimates that as many as 90 percent of Oregon residents who have state-issued driver’s licenses or ID cards were affected.
While the State Department cannot confirm whether or not an individual’s data was accessed by hackers, there are other means of investigation. What ODOT recommends is outlined below.
The government claims that once every 12 months, individuals are entitled to a free copy of their credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion in accordance with federal law.
The tweet below verifies the news:
Good thing we just upgraded to the real IDs for DHS
The hackers might have gotten less information otherwise.“Watch your credit report”
Serious?
Hey, government agencies, how about you secure my data instead of making it my problem when you lose it.https://t.co/r92Na7NaZl— ComradeCamera (@comradecamera) June 15, 2023
A person’s credit report will show if their credit history has been shared with anyone else. You can get your free report every year by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com or calling 1-877-322-8228.
ODOT recommends reviewing a credit report for any unusual activity such as new accounts or transactions. The agency suggests contacting the number on the report or learning more about identity theft from the Federal Trade Commission if any of the data is unfamiliar.
Freezing one’s credit report is another option available to consumers via the consumer reporting agencies’ respective websites or by calling customer service.
Equifax: 1-800-685-1111
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872
“Our work to understand the full impact of this incident is ongoing,” ODOT said. “As we learn more, affected parties will be notified as required.”
How do you keep abreast of events occurring in the Golden State? Stay on top of what’s happening in California by following the California Examiner on Twitter.
Additional news published by the California Examiner that could be of interest to you are as follows:
- Manhunt Continues for the Shooters Who Killed a Pregnant Woman and Injured a Man in Washington, DC
- The Shooter in the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Was Found Guilty on All 63 Federal Charges He Faced
