BATON ROUGE — After six million records including driver’s license information and other data was exposed in a sophisticated, global cyberattack, many Louisianans are now left trying to keep their information safe.
The hack primarily targeted the Office of Motor Vehicle’s MOVEit software, and state officials say there are no signs other state departments were impacted. That means anyone with a Louisiana driver’s license, ID and car registration are vulnerable, according to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Names, addresses, birthdates, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers and vehicle registration information were exposed in the “unprecedented” breach.
So, what do you need to do to protect your information?
Consider freezing your credit
Freezing your credit stops others from opening new accounts and borrowing money in your name following a cyber attack. You can freeze and unfreeze your credit for free. While it doesn’t stop you from using existing credit cards or bank accounts, freezing your credit can stop new accounts from being opened in your name.
It can be done quickly online by contacting the three major credit bureaus by phone:
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742
- Equifax: 1-800-685-1111
- TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872
Check your credit report
Whether you decide to freeze your credit or not, officials recommend requesting and reviewing your credit report from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion to look for suspicious activity.
Many credit cards offer free credit monitoring (contact the individual card company for specific information).
There are also free services from some of the major credit bureaus. Experian offers free credit monitoring, Equifax offers free credit reports, and Credit Karma and Credit Sesame also offer free credit monitoring.
Change all passwords
While passwords aren’t believed to have been impacted by the breach, state officials do recommend changing all passwords for online accounts “in the event your personal data was used to access” accounts. They also recommend utilizing multi-factor authentication.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has more information about protecting your accounts.
Report suspicious activity
If you see or suspect any abnormal activity involving your data following the cyber attack, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit www.ReportFraud.FTC.gov immediately.
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