A data breach in Maine earlier this year affected approximately 1.3 million individuals, the state government announced on Thursday.
The breach, which transpired in May, was part of a widespread cyberattack exploiting a vulnerability in the widely utilized MOVEit file-transfer system, reported The Hill.
This incident also reverberated across several U.S. federal agencies, including the departments of Energy and Health and Human Services.
The state revealed that it promptly “blocked internet access to and from the MOVEit server” and implemented security measures recommended by Progress Software, the company that owns MOVEit, once it became aware of the breach.
An additional response layer involved the engagement of external cybersecurity experts to probe the incident’s nature and scope, coupled with an exhaustive investigation to identify the information compromised.
Maine, home to a population of around 1.38 million, disclosed that the compromised data encompassed sensitive information such as names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license or state identification numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, medical details, and health insurance information.
Over 50% of data from Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and varying percentages ranging from 10% to 30% from the state’s Department of Education fell victim to the breach. Other state departments were also affected, albeit to a lesser extent.
Maine is offering individuals whose Social Security numbers or taxpayer identification numbers were implicated two years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services, as detailed in Thursday’s press release.
The state has established a dedicated website to address the breach. Individuals are urged to dial (877) 618-3659 toll-free to ascertain whether their essential information has been compromised.
Reports attribute the cyberattack to a Russian ransomware group, which orchestrated an assault impacting over 70 million people worldwide; according to Emsisoft, an anti-malware company actively tracking the breach.
Beyond the borders of Maine, the ripple effects of the breach reached far and wide. The breach compromised approximately 6 million Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles records. Furthermore, about 4 million individuals were affected through the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and an additional 3.5 million suffered consequences through the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
Jim Thomas | editorial.thomas@newsmax.com
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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