Florida DEO Discloses Data Breach Affecting 58,000 Accounts

Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has disclosed a data breach that affected its unemployment benefits system and targeted 57,920 claimant accounts.

The breach affected accounts within the Reemployment Assistance Claims and Benefits Information System, commonly known as CONNECT, officials wrote in a July 23 letter to those affected. Personal information may have been taken from DEO between April 27, 2021, and July 16, 2021, when officials reportedly learned of the incident, the letter states.

Information inside the accounts that may have been accessed includes Social Security number, driver's license number, bank account numbers, claim information, and other personal data including address, phone number, and date of birth. Attackers may have also accessed the PIN used to access the CONNECT account.

The DEO says it has proactively locked CONNECT accounts and improved PIN security controls and its network security systems in response to the incident. It advises those affected to monitor their credit accounts for unauthorized activity.

Read more details here.