Notice of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department Cyber Security Event
Published on http://www.kckfd.org/index.php/cyber-security-event/
Date: July 20, 2024
Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department (“KCKFD”) is providing preliminary notice of an event which may affect the security of certain data KCKFD data relating to our EMS department. This notice provides information about the event, KCKFD’s response to date, and the resources available to individuals to help protect their information from potential misuse, should they feel it appropriate to do so.
What Happened? On May 21, 2024, the KCK Fire Department became aware of suspicious activity in our network. We quickly worked to restore our systems, restore access to information so we could continue to support the community without disruption, and investigate the nature and scope of the event. We also notified federal law enforcement. Through our investigation, we determined that an unknown actor gained access to certain systems within our network and copied certain files from those systems.
What Information Was Involved? Our response and investigation are ongoing, but we have identified certain information related to individuals was present in the involved files. We understand, based on our preliminary assessment of the files, that the involved information may include individuals’ names and other information related to EMS medical records. Please note that we do not have any evidence of actual misuse of individuals’ information as a result of this incident, but we are providing this preliminary notice while we continue to review the involved files.
What We Are Doing. The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information in our care are among our highest priorities, and we take this event very seriously. Upon becoming aware of this activity, we immediately took steps to secure our systems and initiated a full investigation with the assistance of third-party subject matter specialists. We are also reviewing our security policies and procedures and are implementing additional security measures to reduce the risk of similar future events. Additionally, our review of potentially impacted individuals is ongoing and once it is complete, we anticipate reaching out to impacted individuals directly.
What You Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Additional information and resources can be found in the below Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Personal Information section of this notice.
For More Information. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated assistance line at info-requests@kckfd.org. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
Steps You Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information
Monitor Your Accounts
Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.
Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.
As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:
- Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
- Social Security number;
- Date of birth;
- Addresses for the prior two to five years;
- Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
- A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
- A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.
Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:
| Equifax | Experian | TransUnion |
| https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ | https://www.experian.com/help/ | https://www.transunion.com/credit-help |
| 1-888-298-0045 | 1-888-397-3742 | 1-800-916-8800 |
| Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 | Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 | TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 |
| Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 | Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 | TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094 |
Additional Information
Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.
