Columbus gives free credit monitoring for all cyber breach victims

TLDR:

• The City of Columbus is offering two years of free Experian credit monitoring to all individuals affected by a recent cyber breach.
• Personal information of individuals was stolen in a ransomware attack, including data on those who swiped their driver’s licenses at city hall since 2006.

The City of Columbus is extending its credit monitoring offer to all those whose personal information was stolen from the city in a ransomware attack. The offer includes $1 million of protection against fraud and identity theft for two years. Data leaked by the ransomware group included private citizens’ personal information, with nearly half a million entries of names of people who swiped their driver’s licenses at city hall since 2006. Many individuals affected may not be aware of the breach. Domestic violence survivors are among those impacted. Law firms have filed a class action lawsuit to expand coverage to all affected individuals. Residents must enroll by November 29, 2024, for the Experian monitoring. The mayor’s office urges residents to take advantage of this protection by signing up online or calling a designated number.