California Department of Finance Breach - December 16, 2022

The California Department of Finance is a government cabinet agency in the state of California. The agency helps with budgeting, department funding, economic research, and more. The organization has between 250 and 500 employees and is based in Sacramento, CA.

What Was the Breach?

• Employee Names
• Employee ID Numbers
• Social Security Numbers
• Financial Email Addresses
• Bank Account Information
• Telephone Numbers
• Medical Information

How Did the Breach Occur?

The breach in the California Department of Finance was made possible through the exploitation of network vulnerabilities and a possible phishing attack. The California Cybersecurity Integration Center and several other security expert teams fully examined the attack to determine the security vulnerabilities used to gain access to the government file network, but they haven't disclosed the specifics to the public.

When Did This Breach Occur?

The California Department of Finance noted a security issue on December 16, 2022. The first attack likely occurred before this day and was blocked on December 16. Before that point, the attackers had access to personnel files, including documents sent to the HR department.

Who Does the Breach Impact?

This California Department of Finance data breach impacted former department employees, as well as current and potential employees that have submitted FMLA forms, direct deposit forms, or nonindustrial disability insurance (NDI) forms. If you receive a notice from the California Department of Finance, you should watch your financial data and monitor your credit closely. You are also encouraged to utilize the Equifax ID Watchdog service that's offered for free if you receive a notice.

How Many Files Does the Breach Affect?

There's no clear count of the total California Department of Finance files that were accessed in this breach. Specific details like these are being kept away from the public, but from the report details, it's clear that at least dozens of individuals were negatively impacted by this attack.