Hillsborough County, Florida (County Government)

In Hillsborough County, Florida, a significant data breach occurred, impacting over 70,000 residents and potentially exposing sensitive personal and medical information. This breach was part of a global cybersecurity incident involving the MOVEit file transfer tool, a third-party service that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. The breach was first notified to the county on June 1, and subsequent investigations revealed that files from the Health Care Services and Aging Services departments were at risk. These files contained protected health and personal information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, medical conditions, diagnoses, and disabilities[1][2][3].

The MOVEit breach affected various institutions across the nation, including higher education, healthcare, and other sectors. Hillsborough County was not specifically targeted but was impacted as a customer of MOVEit. The breach could lead to identity theft, financial loss, and other long-term issues for the victims[2]. In response, Hillsborough County has taken steps to notify affected individuals and recommend actions to protect against potential fraud, such as placing fraud alerts with credit bureaus and monitoring credit reports[3].

The county has also notified relevant authorities, including the credit monitoring bureaus, the Florida Department of Legal Affairs/Office of Attorney General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights. A dedicated toll-free number has been established for affected residents to seek more information[1].

This incident underscores the importance of cybersecurity measures and the potential risks associated with third-party service providers. It also highlights the need for individuals to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect their personal and financial information in the wake of such breaches.

Citations:

1. https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2023/07/14/hillsborough-notifies-70000-potential-data-breach-health-aging-services/
2. https://www.idstrong.com/sentinel/hillsborough-county-suffered-data-breach/
3. https://lakerlutznews.com/2023/07/115710/
4. https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/hillsborough-county-schools-targeted-in-cyberattack/
5. https://www.govtech.com/security/florida-county-election-breach-exposes-58k-voters-data
6. https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2023/09/22/hillsborough-schools-data-breach-exposed-information-over-250-students/
7. https://www.idstrong.com/data-breaches/hillsborough-county-breach/
8. https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/elections/data-breach-exposes-58k-hillsborough-county-florida-voters/67-e60befeb-8b25-43c1-becc-78d8dfc49a2e
9. https://cyware.com/news/global-data-breach-could-impact-70000-residents-vendor-employees-with-hillsborough-county-60de05ec
10. https://www.fox13news.com/news/hillsborough-county-school-district-cyber-security-breach-hackers
11. https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/70k-hillsborough-county-residents-vendors-information-at-risk-from-data-breach/
12. https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/over-250-students-affected-by-hillsborough-county-data-breach
13. https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/illegal-data-breach-affects-about-58-000-voters-in-hillsborough-supervisor-of-elections-says
14. https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/hillsborough-county-public-schools-alert-parents-to-cyber-security-attack-data-breach-students/67-93b0089c-fdf3-4693-ab80-8b9bf49f85e3
15. https://www.fox13news.com/news/global-data-breach-could-impact-70000-residents-vendor-employees-with-hillsborough-county