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County of Tehama, Calif., Identifies and Addresses Data Security Incident
The county reports unauthorized access to files in its Department of Social Services' systems between Nov. 18, 2021, and April 9. It has added enhanced alert and monitoring software and is offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those whose personal information may have been compromised in the breach.
November 18, 2022
2 Min Read
PRESS RELEASE
RED BLUFF, Calif., Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the County of Tehama, Calif. announced that it has addressed a data security incident that resulted in unauthorized access to files on its systems.
On Aug. 19, 2022, the County of Tehama concluded its investigation of a data security incident that resulted in unauthorized access to personal information pertaining to certain County of Tehama Department of Social Services files. The County of Tehama first learned about the incident on April 9, 2022, when the County of Tehama detected suspicious activity on its IT systems. Upon identifying this suspicious activity, the County of Tehama immediately took steps to protect and secure its systems. The County of Tehama also launched an investigation and notified law enforcement. Through the investigation, the County of Tehama determined that an unauthorized party gained access to its IT network between the dates of Nov. 18, 2021, and April 9, 2022. The investigation further determined that the unauthorized party accessed files on the County of Tehama Department of Social Services' systems. The County of Tehama conducted a review of the files that may have been accessed as a result of this incident. Through this review, the County of Tehama determined that information pertaining to certain current and former County of Tehama employees, recipients of services from the County of Tehama Department of Social Services, and other affiliated individuals was contained in one or more of those files. This information included individuals' names, dates of birth, mailing addresses, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and information related to services received from County of Tehama Department of Social Services.
On Nov. 17, 2022, the County of Tehama began mailing letters to individuals whose information may have been involved in the incident. The County of Tehama is offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to individuals whose Social Security numbers or driver's license numbers were involved. The County of Tehama also has established a dedicated, toll-free incident response line to answer questions that individuals may have. If individuals have any questions about this incident or believe their information may have been involved, they should call 855-926-1376, Monday through Friday, between 6:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Pacific Time.
To date, the County of Tehama has not received any reports of fraud related to this incident. However, the County of Tehama recommends that individuals whose information may have been involved remain vigilant to the possibility of fraud by reviewing their financial account statements and immediately reporting any suspicious activity to their financial institution.
The County of Tehama deeply regrets any inconvenience or concern this may cause. To help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future, the County of Tehama has implemented enhanced monitoring and alerting software.
SOURCE: County of Tehama, California
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