Stories
Florida Department Confirms Driver License Data Breach by Malicious Actor
- •The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported that driver license and motor vehicle data were accessed by an unauthorized individual using compromised credentials on September 4.
- •Officials confirmed that an international cybercriminal organization was behind the attack, with the notorious group ShinyHunters suspected of orchestrating the breach.
- •FLHSMV is notifying affected individuals and offering one year of complimentary credit monitoring through Sontiq, though contact information for former residents may be outdated.
- •The breach occurred after an employee of a local law enforcement agency improperly stored credentials on an electronic device, allowing unauthorized access to department systems.
- •State officials have blocked the unauthorized access, reset credentials, engaged cybersecurity experts, and introduced additional safeguards as the investigation continues.
Key Questions Answered
A malicious actor used compromised credentials on September 4 to gain unauthorized access to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles systems, compromising driver's licence and motor vehicle data. The state confirmed an international cybercriminal organization was behind the attack.
The FLHSMV is sending notification letters to affected individuals and offering victims one year of credit monitoring services through Sontiq. However, officials noted they might lack current contact details for many former state residents whose data was stored in the system.
The cybercriminal group ShinyHunters is suspected of being behind the attack, having previously claimed responsibility and given officials a September 11 deadline to negotiate payment before leaking data. To prove the breach, the group published a photo of what was alleged to be Jeffrey Epstein's driver's licence.
