On June 1st, 2023 the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles was made aware that many Oregonians' sensitive data was compromised and stolen via online hackers. Apparently highly sensitive information was accessed. That sensitive data is now accessible to thieves and scammers through dark web markets. The Oregon DMV response seems to be a very tongue in cheek "we did what we can, now do what you can" stance that leaves a lot of observers of the incident wondering as to how it all happened or who to point the blame at.

The incident has prompted skeptics to wonder if the State needs so much of our private data, what they do with that information that might benefit Oregonians, and whether the trade-off is worth it, given the fact that Oregon has had 8 large data breaches recently.

In a statement from the Oregon DMV website they state that "Unfortunately, we are not able to check your DMV customer account or monitor it for suspicious activity." They go on to state that "We also cannot change the number on your card unless there is proof that your name and number were used in committing a fraudulent act. If that happens, you should first call police to report the crime."

ODOT says they are working closely with state cybersecurity services and they have engaged a third-party security specialist for forensic analysis. This is a developing, world-wide issue, and ODOT says it is coordinating with local and federal law enforcement.

They say they are sharing information as it becomes available and acting upon advisories provided by them. They say that they will continue to closely monitor systems, as well as vendor and industry information sources with information related to this vulnerability and its after-effects.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Everyone agrees that information security and keeping personal information of Oregonians safe should be a priority. ODOT says they will constantly update security protocols to stay current with what they are saying is industry best practices and they insist that they will guard against future vulnerabilities.

There are immediate steps you can take to protect your information from identity theft. Its recommend you actively monitor your account statements and credit reports. According to the Oregon DMV website, Oregonians are entitled to a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.


--Sabrina-Marie Fisher

Post Date: 2023-08-10 14:21:08

Last Update: 2023-08-10 17:04:14