UPDATED: Alabama: new call center operational; AJLA to offer credit monitoring services
NEW INFORMATION:
AJLA-TS has established a call center to answer questions from those who are affected. The toll-free number is 1-844-469-3939. The center is open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (CST) Monday – Friday. Customers may email AJLAincidentresponse@AJLA.net with any additional questions about the incident.
AJLA-TS is also offering one year of free credit monitoring services to those who were affected. Those affected will receive an activation code from AJLA to access this service. This will come in the form of an email from AJLA within the next week with detailed instructions as to how to activate those services.
Those who have been identified by ADOL as possibly being affected and have a valid email address on file will receive an email by the end of today with further instructions. The email will originate from this address: ajlsecurity@joblink.alabama.gov.
Individuals who are unsure if they have been affected or are not notified due to the lack of a valid email address may call the Alabama Department of Labor at 1-800-361-4524 and select option “1” in order to determine if their information may have been accessed. Those individuals will need to provide the LAST FOUR DIGITS ONLY of their social security number and their date of birth in order to check the information.
At this time, there have been NO REPORTED INCIDENTS of anyone using this data for any purpose.
Those impacted should continue to carefully monitor their financial resources. Details on ways to do that are below in the original release.
MONTGOMERY – Following a recent security breach of the America’s JobLink (AJL) system, a multi-state web-based system that links jobseekers with employers, it has been determined that Alabamians who have used the state’s free, online jobs database www.joblink.alabama.gov may have had personal information exposed.
The site is developed and maintained by America’s JobLink Alliance – Technical Support (AJLA-TS).
AJLA-TS confirmed on March 21 a malicious third-party “hacker” exploited a vulnerability in the AJL application code to view the names, social security numbers and dates of birth of jobseekers in the AJL systems of 10 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont.
The threat has been contained and the hacker’s access to all AJL systems has been disabled.
Anyone who signed up for an account on JobLink or utilized its services over the past four years may be at risk. This includes anyone who has received unemployment insurance benefits. New accounts established after March 14 are not affected. The Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) has identified those with VALID social security numbers who may be affected and THOSE CUSTOMERS WITH A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS ON FILE WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PROCEED. Information is also available on the following websites: www.joblink.alabama.gov and www.labor.alabama.gov.
“Our customers’ personal information is something we value,” said Fitzgerald Washington, secretary of the Alabama Department of Labor. “We are working around the clock with all vendors, state, and federal agencies involved to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information regarding this incident and to make sure that all precautions are being taken to prevent such an incident in the future.”
“The State of Alabama has requested an immediate and independent investigation by the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), a collaborative initiative of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Once this forensic analysis is completed, additional information will be released,” said Dr. Joanne Hale, Alabama acting secretary of information technology.
Anyone who has been affected by this breach, or thinks they may have been affected, should carefully watch their bank accounts, credit cards and other financial transactions. For more information on how you can protect your credit, please refer to the following major credit reporting agencies:
- Equifax- 1 800 685-1111, www.equifax.com
- Experian- 1 888 397-3742, www.experian.com
- TransUnion- 1 800 916-8800, www.transunion.com
You may request that they place a fraud alert and or a credit freeze on your file. You may also contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490. See www.identitytheft.gov/databreach for additional follow-up steps.
AJLA-TS is in the processing of establishing a call center to answer questions from those who are affected. This center should be operational within two to three business days. Customers may email www.AJLAincidentresponse@AJLA.net with any additional questions about the incident. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.
stock image
