"Millions of Americans’ Personal Data Exposed in Global Hack"

Millions of people in Louisiana and Oregon have recently had their data compromised in the sprawling cyberattack that has also hit the US federal government.  Authorities stated that the breach had affected 3.5 million Oregonians with driver’s licenses or state ID cards and anyone with that documentation in Louisiana.  The Louisiana governor’s office did not put a number on the number of victims, but over 3 million Louisianians hold driver’s licenses.  The states did not blame anyone in particular for the hack, but federal officials have attributed a broader hacking campaign using the same software vulnerability to a Russian ransomware gang.  Authorities noted that the sweeping hack has likely exposed data at hundreds of organizations across the globe and also compromised multiple US federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, as well as data from major corporations in Britain like the BBC and British Airways.  The Russian-speaking hackers that claimed credit are known to demand multimillion-dollar ransoms, though US and state governments say they have not received any demands.  The data exposed in the breach of the Oregon and Louisiana motor vehicle departments may include Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, prompting state authorities to advise their residents on how to protect themselves from identity fraud. 

CNN reports: "Millions of Americans’ Personal Data Exposed in Global Hack"