On October 20, 2023, a Privacy Incident notice came from the city of Philadelphia. It pertained to an email hack, that happened in May 2023. The notice disclosed that the incident might have jeopardized the security of some individuals’ information and personal data.
The Philadelphia government actively voiced this message in a section of the notification:
“We are offering information about the event, our reaction, and steps that individuals who might be affected can take to better guard against identity theft and fraud, if they deem it necessary.”
The report states that the Philadelphia government noticed suspicious activity in its email system on May 24, 2023. They promptly hired a third-party cybersecurity expert to evaluate the damage. While investigation is still underway, but it’s clear that an unauthorized hacker maliciously accessed the Philadelphia government’s email accounts from May 26, 2023, to July 28, 2023, obtaining sensitive information.
Disclosed breached data encompasses names, addresses, birth dates, social security numbers, and more. The city immediately acted to strengthen the security of its email accounts and put additional protective measures in place.
To assist those whose data might be at risk, the Philadelphia government is proactively offering a free credit reports to the victims.
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