Massive Data Breach Exposes City of Tucson, Arizona

Over 125,000 people found out recently that their personal information is at risk, when a data breach was discovered by the authorities in the City of Tucson, Arizona.

Timeline of Events

As revealed in a notice sent to those affected by the attack, the threat actors had access to the network between May 17 and May 31 and might have stolen documents containing the information of 123,513 individuals.

Suspicious activity was first noticed on May 29, 2022, while on August 4, 2022, the City learned that certain files may have been copied and taken from its network.

The authorities began notifying potentially impacted individuals on September 23rd that, among the sensitive personal information exposed during the incident, the leaked data might also contain names and Social Security numbers.

The information within the potentially accessed files included certain individuals’ name, Social Security number, driver’s license or state identification number, and passport number.

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What Happened to the Stolen Information

According to BleepingComputer, notification letters sent to affected individuals also reveal no evidence was found that this personal info has been misused until now.

However, those impacted by the data breach are advised to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity that could hint at incidents of identity theft and fraud involving their personal information.

The City of Tucson provides 12 months of free access to Experian credit monitoring and identity protection services, as well as guidance on defending against identity theft.

The notification letter also claims that existing policies and procedures regarding cybersecurity will be reviewed, and additional measures and safeguards will be set in place to protect against this type of event in the future.

The City treats the security of information in its possession as an utmost priority and apologizes for any inconvenience this event may cause

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Mihaela Popa

COMMUNICATIONS & PR OFFICER

Mihaela is a digital content creator for Heimdal® and the proud owner of an old soul and a curious mind. Passionate to learn and discover more about cybersecurity, she will gladly share her latest finds with you.