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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — About 58,000 voters in Hillsborough County had some of their information illegally accessed, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office.
An investigation revealed an unauthorized person copied personal information such as social security and driver’s license numbers, according to officials. The investigation was first reported on May 3.
The information that was accessed was primarily from files used to conduct voter registration list maintenance, officials said. It was stressed that neither the voter registration system or ballot tabulation systems were accessed.
The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office said it will mail letters this week to those who were affected.
There are more than 925,000 registered voters in Hillsborough County. The number of people affected is roughly six percent.
However, some voters worry it could compromise future elections.
“That says a lot about the security of our elections,” said Jameka Williams. “To see people’s home addresses and their sensitive information out there. To know that it could be in the hands of anyone is a scary thought.”
Cybersecurity experts say the number of cyberattacks are on the rise. It’s a trend that Courtney H. Jackson is tracking.
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Jackson is the CEO and Founder of Paragon Cyber Solutions based in Tampa.
“All it takes is for one person to click a link and that can be a hacker’s way into the network,” said Jackson.
Jackson works with the federal government and commercial agencies to secure their networks.
She says hackers usually target their victims with a disguised email.
“You’ll see an email with a link for a free Amazon gift card and someone may click it not thinking they’re actually letting someone into the network,” said Jackson.
Since the criminal investigation is still active, no further information can be shared at this time.
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