Carruth Data Breach

Per the Carruth website: “the information related to individuals that was potentially affected by this event includes their name and a combination of information, including: Social Security number and financial account information. In more limited circumstances, the information could include individuals’ driver’s license number, W-2 information, medical billing information (but not medical records), and tax filings.”

Note: Data was not exfiltrated from internal HDESD databases or information systems in this incident.

No. Carruth does not have access, nor manage, our PERS accounts or information.

HDESD leadership is in contact with Carruth and our partners in the state to understand the full scope of the breach. We will continue to monitor the incident, and engage with Carruth and legal partners to mitigate the impact on our employees. We are preparing formal data breach notifications to be delivered by both work email and postal mail to current employees and by postal mail only to former employees.

In our annual October Cybersecurity training series, we learn about the importance of securing ourselves, our data, our finances, and our families. The steps to take in the wake of this breach are similar to the steps shared in those weekly updates:

• Secure your data and finances. Use strong passwords, a password manager (to remember them!), and multi-factor authentication.
• Enroll in credit monitoring and identity restoration services. Carruth is offering free credit monitoring and identity restoration services through IDX. To enroll, call IDX at 877-720-7895.
• Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit report. You can place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit report to help protect yourself from identity theft. You can learn more here: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/credit-freeze-or-fraud-alert-whats-right-your-credit-report.
• Monitor your accounts. Regularly review your retirement savings plans, bank accounts, credit card statements and other financial accounts for any suspicious activity. If you see anything unusual, report it to your financial institution immediately.
• Monitor your credit reports. You’re entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Visit https://www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to order your free reports.
• Report Any Suspicious Activity. If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.identitytheft.gov or 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338). You should also file a police report.

• We will continue to monitor this incident through a final resolution.
• We will host at least two Carruth Incident Q&As for current and former employees on Zoom. Former employees can request an invite by emailing techhelp@hdesd.org.
• As soon as practical, we will share updated information related to the new retirement plan administrator for HDESD.