14 DAY TRIAL // Cybercriminals hacked into a Monterey County computer containing the personal details of almost 145,000 people who received social services assistance between 2002 and 2009. The attack took place in mid-March 2013.
According to Monterey County representatives, cited by the Monterey Herald, the breached computer contained names, social security numbers and, in some cases, dates of birth and addresses.
Interestingly, the computer had not been used since 2009. In fact, it was supposed to be shut down. However, a power surge rebooted the device at some point.
The hackers gained access to it because it was still connected to the state’s network. The machine was used to send print jobs and the personal information stored on it was found in the printed files.
State social services officials notified the county regarding the breach almost immediately after it happened. It’s believed the cybercriminals had access to the device for less than 24 hours.
The investigation conducted by the Monterey County hasn’t been able to determine if the hackers actually stole the information.
The impacted individuals are being notified of the incident. They’re advised to take precautionary measures to detect and prevent identity theft. They’re also recommended to place fraud alerts on their bank accounts.
“We deeply regret that this incident occurred and are disappointed that hackers would break into a computer system needed to serve those most in need,” said Elliott Robinson, director of the county Department of Social Services.
“We take the privacy of people who come to us for assistance very seriously and have worked with state network administrators to assure that the method of attack used to break into this computer can't be used again. Additionally, this computer was immediately taken off-line and care was taken to assure all other social services computers were behind firewalls.”
Robinson said he wasn’t aware of any law enforcement investigation into the incident.