The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) announced Friday that its driver‑license database was accessed by an international cybercriminal organization. The agency released a statement on its website confirming the breach and noting that law‑enforcement partners are actively investigating the incident.
What is known about the breach
Details about the stolen data remain limited. FLHSMV said the intrusion was discovered and contained, but it has not disclosed how long the hackers had access. The agency emphasized that it is working with federal authorities to determine the full scope of the compromise.
Connection to other recent hacks
This breach follows a separate incident involving IDscan.net, a vendor that scans driver’s licenses for private companies. IDscan.net reported that a hacker group claimed to have taken 160 million IDs, including the driver’s license of former Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, prompting a federal investigation.
While the two incidents appear unrelated, they illustrate how cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting artificial‑intelligence tools to target sensitive personal information held by government and private‑sector entities.
ShinyHunters claims responsibility
Earlier this week, the cyber‑crime group ShinyHunters posted on its dark‑web site that the “Florida DMV” was its latest victim. The post included a deadline of Sept. 11 for Florida to negotiate a payment to prevent the release of stolen files. The posting featured a screenshot allegedly showing a driver’s license belonging to late financier Jeffrey Epstein, complete with his Social Security number and vehicle registrations. NBC News could not verify the authenticity of the image.
After FLHSMV’s public statement, ShinyHunters removed references to Florida from its site. Ian Gray, vice president of intelligence at threat‑monitoring firm Flashpoint, explained that such removal often signals that the targeted organization has entered negotiations with the hackers.
Official responses
FLHSMV declined to comment on whether any payment negotiations took place. An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the bureau is investigating the IDscan.net breach, but did not comment on the Florida DMV incident.
State officials have urged Floridians to monitor their personal information for any signs of misuse and to follow standard identity‑theft protection steps, such as reviewing credit reports and placing fraud alerts where appropriate.
What Floridians can do
Residents concerned about the breach should:
- Check their credit reports regularly for unauthorized activity.
- Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus.
- Remain vigilant for phishing emails or calls that reference the recent breach.
The FLHSMV has pledged to keep the public informed as the investigation progresses and to implement additional security measures to safeguard driver‑license data in the future.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
