Human Resource Services has recently been notified of a data breach that may impact state employees.
The Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO), a separately elected official, informed Washington State University about a security incident involving a third-party software service vendor the SAO was using. The incident, which occurred last month, may have exposed the personal and financial information of about 1.6 million Washingtonians who filed unemployment claims in 2020. This includes many state employees. To be clear, this was not the result of any actions of anyone at the Employment Security Department (ESD). It was a third-party vendor that was working for the SAO. It does not make the impact any less important, but it is important to note this is not the result of any actions or inactions at ESD.
Employees whose information may have been compromised will be notified directly by the State Auditor’s Office.
The Office of Financial Management (OFM) and SAO are both setting up websites to inform employees of any new developments and available resources:
There will also be a SAO call center set up later this week for employees to get assistance and resources with these issues.
In addition to the resource sites above, recommendations to protect your identity include:
- Visiting the FTC identity theft website. This resource has the most current, detailed step-by-step process for reporting and protecting people from further victimization.
- Requesting your free credit reports and review them for fraudulent activities.
- Visiting the Washington State Coronavirus Response – Coronavirus Scams site.
Additional steps you should take are provided by the Washington State Attorney General.
