May 15, 2024

Hackers got personal, financial info from city of Wichita cyberattack

Posted May 15, 2024 10:00 AM

WICHITA — On May 5, the City disclosed that it made the decision to take its computer systems offline to stop the spread of malware that locks access to computer files. In the last week, the city has made great strides in recovery efforts, according to a statement on the city website.

As part of our thorough review and assessment of this matter, the city identified that certain files were copied from the city computer network without permission between May 3 and 4. These files contained law enforcement incident and traffic information, which include names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state identification card numbers, and payment card information. 

The city identified that this matter is related to a recently disclosed security vulnerability that affects organizations throughout the world. The city of Wichita technical teams have been working around the clock to put the mitigation measures in place to resolve the issue. Further, we are coordinating with law enforcement to investigate this matter further. 

"We understand that this matter has been an inconvenience for our residents and customers, and for that we appreciate your patience as we work through this process."

"Whether individuals wish to take additional steps in response to this matter is a personal decision. However, we are providing information about free resources as detailed below should individuals have concerns."

Steps Individuals Can Take To Protect Personal Information

Monitor Relevant Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

  1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
  2. Social Security number;
  3. Date of birth;
  4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
  5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
  6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
  7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax—www.equifax.com and 1-888-298-0045

Experian—www.experian.com and 1-888-397-3742

TransUnion—www.transunion.com and 1-800-916-8800

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state Attorney General. 

We thank you again for your continued patience as we continue to evaluate this matter. We will keep the webpage up to date at www.wichita.gov/alert as we learn more about restoring services and other additional resources we can provide.