IDScan, Leader in ID Verification, Acknowledges Major Data Breach Involving Over 150 Million Driver’s Licenses
IDScan, a service specializing in identity verification, has revealed that a recent data breach involved the theft of driver’s license information from its systems. This announcement comes following a report that indicated the company had been compromised during a prolonged cyberattack lasting a year.
According to a notification on their website, the hackers accessed the company’s cloud storage and took driver’s licenses, which included sensitive data such as individuals’ full names, license numbers, and identification details from other government-issued documents like passports.
Based in Louisiana, IDScan provides its services to a variety of businesses, including entertainment venues and cannabis dispensaries, to help verify customer identities. This acknowledgment marks the first time IDScan has confirmed a breach, although they noted an investigation into an incident in the previous week without confirming a hack at that time.
The company stated in its notice that it became aware of the hack claim around September 1, coinciding with a report by cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs announcing a data breach at IDScan.
Krebs highlighted that he found a site on the dark web where users could search for driver’s license information belonging to over 150 million individuals in the U.S. and Canada, including access to associated photos. He validated the information by checking his own details and noted that the database contained data on several high-profile individuals, including a government official and a security researcher who also confirmed his information.
The Pentagon acknowledged last week that it was aware of the potential breach, and the FBI indicated that it was also looking into the matter.
IDScan mentioned on its website that it continues to investigate the incident. The company noted that while accessing all the stolen information presumably required a payment, presumably a ransom for the data, they are issuing notifications on their website to inform those who may be affected. Although IDScan holds records for over 150 million driver’s licenses, they have not disclosed how many individuals may be impacted.
IDScan did not reply to requests for further information regarding the incident, including whether the hackers had approached them with a ransom demand to prevent the release of the stolen data.
