Sept. 14, 2026, 12:23 p.m. ET
- The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) announced it was investigating a data breach in a statement published by the department.
- The FLHSMV said it learned of a “data breach” conducted by an “international cybercriminal organization.”
- The department said the data breach was “quickly mitigated,” and that “no further breach has occurred or is ongoing.”
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) announced it was investigating a data breach in a statement published by the department.
In a statement posted on Sept. 11, the FLHSMV said it learned of a “data breach” conducted by an “international cybercriminal organization.”
The department said the data breach was “quickly mitigated,” and that “no further breach has occurred or is ongoing.” FLHSMV did not say what the cybercriminals may have gotten.
When did the Florida Department of Highway Safety data breach occur?
The department did not provide a date range for the breach, but said it became aware of it Sept. 4.
“The Department immediately launched an investigation, which determined that a criminal actor was able to take advantage of a single Plant City Police Department user’s credentials that were improperly housed on the employee’s personal electronic device,” read the statement.
The FLHSMV provided required notice of the breach to the Office of the Attorney General, according to the statement, and has also partnered with the Florida Digital Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement “in its response to the event.”
A criminal investigation into the breach is ongoing, and “further information will be released at an appropriate time in the future.”
What was stolen from the FLHSMV?
The department did not release any specifics about what information was leaked in the attack.
The FLHSMV did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the USA TODAY Network.
FLHSMV did not say who was behind the breach
The FLHSMV did not name a particular group in its statement, mentioning only that the data breach was “conducted by an international cybercriminal organization.”
According to NBC News, ShinyHunters, a group that claimed responsibility for previous hacking attacks on other organizations, said it breached the “Florida DMV” and gave the department a deadline of Sept. 11 to negotiate a fee to not release the files it stole.
ShinyHunters deleted references to Florida after the FLHSMV published its statement on Friday, according to NBC News.
What is ShinyHunters?
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ShinyHunters is a “cyber criminal group” that specializes in “large-scale data breaches and extortion.”
“They target major companies across tech, finance, and retail, often stealing millions of customer records at once,” reads a public service announcement by the agency.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
Click Here For The Original Source.
