SSNs, drivers’ licenses and government IDs exposed in Oklahoma City Housing Authority data breach

Beginning July 22, the Oklahoma City Housing Authority (OCHA) has been notifying individuals of a data breach that exposed their personally identifiable information.

According to a data breach notice, the housing authority first discovered unauthorized access to internal email accounts in December 2021. Following an investigation with the help of third-party forensic specialists, the organization determined that unauthorized access may have taken place between Nov. 30 and Dec. 21, 2021, when certain files were accessed.

“On December 21, 2021, OCHA discovered unauthorized emails were sent from an OCHA email account,” the data breach notice reads. “We quickly launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists to determine what may have happened. Through the investigation, we could not rule out the possibility that an unauthorized actor accessed OCHA email accounts between November 30, 2021, and December 21, 2021.  As a result, it is possible the unauthorized actor accessed certain files. We reviewed those files to determine what, if any, sensitive information was contained therein.”

Potentially compromised data varies with each individual but includes sensitive personal and financial information that could be used in identity theft crimes. This includes Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, government identification, financial account information and medical data.

OCHA says it has no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of this data. The organization is now giving individuals complimentary access to identity theft monitoring services and urges victims to remain vigilant for suspicious activity on their accounts.

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