If you are a Rhode Island resident and have recently applied for government assistance RIBridgesThere is a high chance that your personal information has been compromised in another data breach.
The hackers stole the names, dates of birth and details of RIBridges account holders. Social Security Numbers and banking information, government officials said. As of Tuesday, the cybercrime group responsible for the attack Brain cipherholds the data ransom and is threatens to reveal it on the dark web.
If you have received the following benefits since RIBridges launched in 2016, your data could be at risk:
- Medicaid Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Temporary help for needy families
- Child Care Support Program
- Purchased health insurance through HealthSource
- RI Rhode Island Works
- Long-term services and support
- General public assistance program, share of costs at home
“State government agencies are often viewed as low-hanging fruit because they may lack the most advanced cybersecurity measures, but they have extremely valuable information that identity criminals need,” James Lee, COO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, told CNET in an email.
The online portal RIBridges, operated by Deloitte, has been temporarily closed as authorities work to eliminate the threat. Deloitte confirmed the breach on December 11, which is believed to have affected hundreds of thousands of residents.
Deloitte, which works with over 25 US stateshas told news outlets that only RIBridges’ systems were compromised by the brain cipher attack. The company did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.
“After consulting with our state IT department, Deloitte immediately implemented additional security measures and began assessing the threat,” he said the governor’s office said in a statement on his website.
If you were affected by this breach, you will be notified in the coming weeks and given access to identity theft and credit monitoring services paid for by Deloitte, state officials said during a Dec. 14 news conference.
Current information about the violation can be found at cyberalert.ri.gov
What should I do if I am affected by the RIBridges hack?
If your information is compromised in a cyberattack, there is a chance that your personal identification information could end up on the dark web and you could become a victim of fraud. There are steps you can take to protect your identity and potentially stop identity thieves in their tracks.
In one short video Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee on Dec. 16 released some steps residents can take to limit the impact of the data breach. As a cybersecurity editor, I’ve added a few more helpful steps to this list to lock down sensitive data.
Update your password
You should change your RIBridges account password as soon as possible. If you have used the same password for other accounts, change those passwords as well.
Set up multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication is a great way to protect your accounts from scammers trying to commit fraud. After you log in to an account, the website or mobile app sends a verification code via email or SMS to confirm that you are truly logged in to the account.
A current one The CNET poll found that 41% of adults in the US signed up for two-factor authentication after their information was compromised in a data breach.
Request copies of your credit reports
You should Request copies of your credit report Check with each credit reporting agency and see if there are any errors or accounts you didn’t open. It’s a good idea to do this several times a year, especially if you know your personal information has been compromised in a breach.
You can request free weekly copies of your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com.
Freeze your credit reports
McKee advised residents to contact all three credit reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax). freeze your credit. Freezing your credit ensures that no one can open a new line of credit in your name and accrue debt to you credit-worthiness. However, in order to be able to apply for a loan yourself, you must temporarily release or “unfreeze” your credit.
“Freezing your credit can be done online in minutes on a smartphone or computer,” Lee said.
Alternatively, you can also place Scam Alerts on your credit reports, alerting you if someone tries to access your credit profile. However, fraud alerts are only valid for 12 months and do not prevent creditors from accessing your reports. This can be a good option if you are applying for a loan soon and just want to be notified before an account is opened in your name.
Watch out for phishing attacks
If your personal information is lost in a breach, you are likely to receive phishing attempts from scammers looking to access your financial accounts or obtain more personal information.
These scams can occur via text message, email and telephone and can take many forms – from Package non-delivery scam and fake job offers to cryptocurrency scams.
Never share your personal information, including your SSN and passport number, in unsolicited communications.
Sign up for identity theft protection
RIBridges account holders affected by this breach will receive free identity theft protection services paid for by Deloitte.
Once this free insurance period ends, you can consider it Subscribe for continued coverage on your own.
