Important Information About the September 2022 Cyberattack
On or about September 8, 2022, Suffolk County determined that its systems had been affected
by what appeared to be a cyberattack. While the cyber assessment remains ongoing, we believe
that the threat actors accessed and/or acquired certain personal information from one or
more County agency servers. The County promptly hired multiple cybersecurity firms to
conduct an examination to protect employees and residents as well as restore online
services.
Activate your free identity protection services
The County has learned that the Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violation Agency’s ("TPVA") server was compromised as part of this cyberattack. As a result, certain personal information located on the TPVA server may have been accessed by the criminal actor. If you received a ticket for a moving violation in the Suffolk County Police District, which includes the Towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown, that was returnable at Suffolk County’s TPVA between 2013 and September 2022 your driver’s license number may have been accessed by the criminal actor. Similarly, if you showed an ID at Suffolk County’s TPVA (such as a driver’s license or passport) when paying by credit card for a Suffolk County-issued ticket (including a parking ticket), that ID number may have been accessed by the criminal actor. Importantly, TPVA credit card payments are processed by a third party, and thus credit card numbers are not stored on the TPVA server. Additionally, there is no PI on parking tickets, red light camera tickets, or bus camera tickets.
Although the County is not aware of any misuse or intended misuse of your PI as a result of this incident, out of an abundance of caution, the County is offering complimentary identity monitoring services to those individuals who are members of one of the categories listed above through Kroll, a global leader in risk mitigation and response. These services will be available to you at no cost for 12 months.
TO ACTIVATE YOUR FREE IDENTITY PROTECTION SERVICES, PLEASE VISIT WWW.SUFFOLKCOUNTY.KROLL.COM.
The investigation into this cyberattack remains ongoing. We will continue to update this website as information becomes available. Please review the additional precautionary measures below that you can take to help protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft.
For more information, please call the County’s 3-1-1 hotline, toll-free, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. If outside of Suffolk County, please call 631-853-6311.
What Can You Do?
Review Your Accounts and Credit Reports
You should regularly review statements from your accounts and periodically obtain your credit
report from one or more of the national credit reporting companies. When you receive your
credit report, look it over with care. If you notice anything suspicious – accounts you did
not open, inquiries from creditors that you did not initiate, personal information such as a
home address or Social Security number that is not accurate – or you see anything you do not
understand, call the credit reporting agency at the number listed in the report. If you find
fraudulent or suspicious activity in your credit reports, you should promptly report the
matter to the proper law enforcement authorities.
Follow the steps recommended below for reporting fraudulent or suspicious activity.
Place a Fraud Alert on your Credit Files
If you are interested in protection against the possibility of identity theft, we recommend
that you place a fraud alert on your credit files. A fraud alert conveys a special message
to anyone requesting your credit report that you suspect that you may be a victim of fraud.
When you or someone else attempts to open a credit account in your name, the lender should
take measures to verify that you have authorized the request. A fraud alert should not stop
you from using your existing credit cards or other accounts, but it may slow down your
ability to get new credit. An initial fraud alert is valid for ninety (90) days. To place a
fraud alert on your credit reports, contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies
at the appropriate number listed below or via their website. One agency will notify the
other two on your behalf. You will then receive letters from the agencies with instructions
on how to obtain a free copy of your credit report from each.
Place a Security Freeze on your Credit Reports
New York residents can also consider placing a Security Freeze on their credit reports. A
Security Freeze prevents most potential creditors from viewing your credit reports and
therefore, further restricts the opening of unauthorized accounts. For more information on
placing a security freeze on your credit reports, please go to the New York Department of
State Division of Consumer Protection website at
https://dos.nysits.acsitefactory.com/consumer-protection.
Remain Vigilant
Even if you do not find signs of fraud on your credit reports, we recommend that you remain
vigilant in reviewing your credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies.
You may obtain a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months by visiting
www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll-free 877-322-8228 or by completing an Annual Credit Request Form
at:
www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit/rights.shtm and
mailing to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 1025281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5283
For more information on identity theft, you can visit the following websites: