DataNet Systems, Washington D.C. company, announced today that it experienced a data incident in which an unauthorized person obtained some information of District of Columbia voters. DataNet Systems helps the District of Columbia Board of Elections provide information to voters. The company takes the privacy and security of personal information very seriously and is providing notice of the incident to potentially affected individuals.
On October 5, 2023, the company discovered unusual activity within its network. This activity was discovered to be unauthorized access to the system through a software program used to advise voters. The company immediately took steps to secure the network and minimize the impact of the incident. The company also engaged a leading independent cybersecurity firm to investigate what happened and determine whether any sensitive information may have been impacted. While that investigation has not determined definitively whose information may have been involved in the incident, out of an abundance of caution we are notifying individuals whose information may have been involved in the relevant data set.
The information may have involved the names, physical and email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and voter registration information, partial Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers of involved individuals. On November 20 the company determined who may have been involved in the incident and is sending individual messages to people with known contact information.
You also have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report free of charge pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1681c-1 and set out below is information on how a resident may request a security freeze. This will prevent new credit from being opened in your name without the use of a PIN number that is issued to you when you initiate the freeze. A security freeze is designed to prevent potential creditors from accessing your credit report without your consent. As a result, using a security freeze may interfere with or delay your ability to obtain credit. You must separately place a security freeze on your credit file with each credit reporting agency. A security freeze may be placed or lifted free of charge.
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You may make that request by certified mail, overnight mail, or regular stamped mail, or by following the instructions found at the websites listed below. The following information must be included when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are making a request for your spouse, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) current address and any previous addresses for the past five years; and (5) any applicable incident report or complaint with a law enforcement agency or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The request must also include a copy of a government-issued identification card and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, display your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue.
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