NEW ORLEANS — Those with a Louisiana ID, registration or driver's license could have their personal data exposed as a major cyber attack targeted the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles as well as other Government entities.
According to a press release from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, MOVEit, which is a third-party data transfer service, was hit by a recent cyber attack.
GOHSEP said that there is no indication currently that cyber attackers have released any OMV data from the data breach and have not contacted state government, but all Louisianans are advised to take steps to safeguard their identity.
OMV said in the press release that Louisianans who had state ID, driver's license or car registration with their office may have had the following data exposed:
- Name
- Address
- Social Security Number
- Birthdate
- Height
- Eye Color
- Driver’s License Number
- Vehicle Registration Information
- Handicap Placard Information
The press release advises to take the following steps:
1. Prevent unauthorized new account openings or loans and monitor credit, and if necessary call the following bureaus to freeze your credit:
Experian
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com/freeze
Equifax
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
TransUnion
(888) 909-8872
www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
2. Change all passwords for online accounts and use multi-factor authentication when possible
3. Protect your tax refund and tax returns with the IRS by requesting an Identity Protection Pin
4. Check your social security benefits and consider registering for an ssa.gov account to prevent others from stealing benefits.
5. Report any abnormal activity involving your data or any suspected identity theft at 1-877-FTC-HELP or at this link.