The ShinyHunters hacking group has published hundreds of thousands of files stolen from a Florida state database containing vehicle and driver-related information.
The hackers said they released the data after Florida’s motor vehicle agency did not meet their ransom demands. The group claimed it accessed the state’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID) earlier in September.
Florida confirms database breach
The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles agency (FLHSMV) confirmed a security incident involving its systems. The agency said the breach occurred after attackers obtained a law enforcement officer’s credentials that were stored on a personal device.
FLHSMV provided details about the incident in its official statement.
Stolen records include vehicle information
Data published by the hackers reportedly included hundreds of thousands of vehicle ownership records containing names, addresses of buyers and sellers, and vehicle identification numbers.
A smaller number of files reportedly contained sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and government-issued documents, including some non-US passports and immigration records. The released data did not appear to include driver’s license images or personal photos.
The breach follows other major incidents involving identity-related data, including attacks targeting organisations that store large amounts of driver identification information.
The incident highlights the risks facing government databases that store personal and vehicle records, as attackers continue targeting systems containing sensitive information.
