The Washington Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Youth (“CDHY”), like many organizations across the country, has unfortunately been the victim of a cybersecurity incident. With privacy and security of utmost importance, CDHY is taking action to notify and provide relief to those potentially impacted.
On December 16, 2023, we discovered disruptions to certain computer systems and, shortly thereafter, determined we were the victim of a sophisticated ransomware incident that began on approximately December 14, 2023. In a ransomware incident, cyber criminals attempt to encrypt or lock up data and, in some cases, try to steal data from an organization.
Upon discovery of this incident, we promptly took steps to secure our systems and engaged leading outside cybersecurity experts to assist in the investigation and remediation of this incident. We have notified federal and state law enforcement of this incident, including the FBI Cyber Crimes Division and the Washington State Patrol, and intend to support any law enforcement investigation.
CDHY has already notified the majority of individuals potentially impacted via U.S. mail. However, as part of our continued investigation, we recently determined that information pertaining to individuals outside of the immediate CDHY community might have been implicated. This could include, for example, information of prospective students or individuals served by an outreach program.
The personal information impacted may have included one or more of the following types of information: name, Social Security number; date of birth; driver’s license or state identification card number; student, military, or passport identification number; or information about medical history, diagnosis, or treatment.
We have arranged to offer credit monitoring and identity restoration services from Kroll at no cost. At the end of this notice, we have included tips to further protect your information.
For more information about the incident or to request credit monitoring, please contact us at hr@cdhy.wa.gov
STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO FURTHER PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
Review Your Account Statements and Obtain and Monitor Your Credit Report
As a precautionary measure, we recommend that you remain vigilant by regularly reviewing and monitoring account statements and credit reports to detect potential errors or fraud and identity theft resulting from the security incident. You may periodically obtain your free credit report from one or more of the national credit reporting companies. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report online at www.annualcreditreport.com, by calling toll-free 1‑877‑322‑8228, or by mailing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at www.annualcreditreport.com) to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You may also purchase a copy of your credit report by contacting one or more of the three national credit reporting agencies listed below.
| Equifax
P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com |
Experian
P.O. Box 9701 Allen, TX 75013-9701 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com |
TransUnion
P.O. Box 1000 Chester, PA 19016-1000 1-800-916-8800 www.transunion.com |
When you receive your credit reports, review them carefully. Look for accounts or creditor inquiries that you did not initiate or do not recognize. Look for inaccurate information, such as a home address and Social Security number. If you see anything you do not understand, call the credit reporting agency at the telephone number on the report.
Additional Resources and Information
You can obtain additional information and further educate yourself regarding identity theft and the steps you can take to protect yourself by contacting your state attorney general or the FTC. The FTC’s contact information and website for additional information is:
The Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338)
TTY: 1-866-653-4261