The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) confirmed on Friday that it is investigating a significant data breach, marking the second time this month that an organization hosting Americans' driver's license information has been compromised. The announcement comes just days after IDscan.net, a vendor scanning licenses for private companies, reported its own major security incident where hackers claimed to have stolen 160 million IDs.
International Cybercriminal Group Involved
In a statement published on its website, the FLHSMV revealed that the breach was conducted by an international cybercriminal organization. While specific details regarding what data was exfiltrated remain scant, the agency confirmed that law enforcement is currently investigating the hack and that the breach has been contained. It remains unclear for how long the hackers had access to the system before being detected.
Links to ShinyHunters and Epstein Data Claims
The FLHSMV's disclosure follows activity by a group known as ShinyHunters, which hacks targets for sensitive information and extorts payments to delete it. Last week, this group announced on its dark-web site that the Florida DMV was its latest victim, setting a deadline of September 11 for negotiations. The claim included a sample file allegedly from the Driver and Vehicle Information Database featuring an image linked to late financier Jeffrey Epstein, as we reported in Florida Bans License Plate Readers on State Highways.
Negotiations and Federal Investigations
Although NBC News could not verify the authenticity of the leaked images containing alleged Social Security numbers and vehicle registrations, ShinyHunters deleted references to Florida shortly after the DMV's statement. Ian Gray, vice president of intelligence at Flashpoint, noted that such deletions often indicate negotiations between victims and hackers regarding potential payments. Meanwhile, an FBI spokesperson confirmed that federal agencies are investigating the separate breach involving IDscan.net.
