Hoffman Estates warns of unauthorized access to personal records

Hoffman Estates has posted legal guidance on its website nine months after detecting a cybersecurity threat to its computer network later found to have resulted in unauthorized access to personal records kept by the village.

A recently concluded review by the village determined that while such information varied by individual, names, birth dates, driver’s license numbers, financial account information, medical information, health information, passport numbers and Social Security numbers were compromised.

The village has notified affected individuals by letter, though it has no evidence that any information has yet been the target of actual or attempted misuse, according to the statement.

In the meantime, Hoffman Estates is making complimentary credit monitoring services available while reviewing and improving its own security policies to protect against a recurrence of last fall’s event.

“The confidentiality, privacy and security of information is one of the village’s highest priorities and the village takes this matter very seriously,” the statement reads.

Last October, village officials discovered suspicious activity in certain systems that led to a network outage. A subsequent investigation found unauthorized access between Oct. 16 through Oct. 20.

People who believe they may have been affected can ask questions at a dedicated assistance line at (833) 918-9899 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays.

Officials are encouraging potential victims to stay vigilant against any incidents of identity theft or fraud, review their account statements and monitor their credit reports for suspicious activity or apparent errors.

Under U.S. law, consumers are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228 toll-free.

Consumers also have the right to place a “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost, or a “credit freeze” on a credit report, officials advised. The latter prohibits a credit bureau from releasing information in its credit report without the consumer’s permission.

Hoffman Estates Village Manager Eric Palm, the only official authorized to speak about the data breach investigation, was unavailable for comment Monday.