A hacking group called ShinyHunters claims it stole the personal information of roughly 200,000 Floridians, including driver license numbers, Social Security numbers, and home addresses. According to cybercrime monitoring sites, the group accessed the data through the “forgot your password” feature on Florida’s DAVID system, the portal that handles driver licenses and state IDs. That feature was disabled Thursday afternoon. State officials have not confirmed a breach, saying only that they have no comment at this time.
A University of South Florida cybercrime professor, Thomas Hyslip, believes the reports are likely accurate. His reasoning: ShinyHunters typically tells the truth about its claims because a group that exaggerates doesn’t collect a ransom. The group is demanding payment by Friday, though it’s unclear what happens if that deadline passes.
If you hold a Florida driver license, the practical advice is to freeze your credit with each of the three major credit bureaus. It’s free, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name, and you can temporarily lift it whenever you need to apply for credit. It’s a ten-minute task that offers real protection whether or not this breach is confirmed. Have you frozen your credit before, or would this be your first time? Let us know in the comments.
