Florida begins notifying DMV data breach victims — Ars Technica
Florida's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) in the United States has begun notifying people whose data may have been affected by a cyberattack on the state system. As Ars Technica reports, on September 4, 2026, an attacker gained access to certain agency records using compromised credentials.
According to FLHSMV, the potentially compromised information includes driver's license and vehicle data, including document images and other personal information. The agency said it currently has no evidence that this data has been used for malicious purposes.
Notifications and data protection
FLHSMV is sending letters to affected people and offering them one year of credit monitoring from Sontiq Inc. At the same time, the state acknowledged that it may not have current contact details for many former Florida residents whose information remained in the system. They were advised to contact the agency by email to check whether they were affected by the incident.
Current and former state residents were advised to monitor their financial accounts, check credit reports for suspicious activity, and consider placing a fraud alert or freezing their credit files with major credit bureaus.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
How access was obtained
The department's FAQ states that the attacker entered the system through the credentials of an employee of a local Florida law enforcement agency. According to FLHSMV, the employee improperly stored login information on an electronic device.
The agency said an international cybercriminal organization was behind the incident, but did not specify its name or how long it had access to the system. The investigation is ongoing. Ars Technica notes that the ShinyHunters group previously claimed responsibility for breaching Florida's DMV system, but FLHSMV did not name the group in its statement.
After detecting the unauthorized access, the department blocked it, reset the relevant credentials, engaged cybersecurity specialists, and introduced additional security measures.
