The Port of Seattle has announced that notification letters are being sent to individuals whose personal data was compromised during the cyberattack in August 2024, which impacted both Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and various maritime facilities. The cybercriminals accessed and downloaded certain personal information from outdated Port systems related to employees, contractors, and parking data.
It is important to note that the Port retains minimal information about airport or maritime passengers, and systems handling payment processes remained secure and unaffected. Following a thorough investigation, the Port is mailing approximately 90,000 notifications to individuals with available mailing addresses who were affected by this incident. Of those, around 71,000 recipients reside in Washington state.
The mailed letters will provide details on how to access complimentary credit monitoring services offered by the Port. For more information, individuals are encouraged to visit the Port’s dedicated cyberattack webpage. The compromised information may include a combination of names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers (or the last four digits), driver’s license numbers, government identification card numbers, and limited medical information.
On August 24, 2024, the Port detected system outages indicative of a cyberattack. In response, the Port promptly activated its incident response protocols. Teams worked swiftly to isolate critical systems and take certain functionalities offline. A comprehensive investigation, assisted by cybersecurity and technology experts, was launched to assess the incident and identify the extent of the data breach. The Port also informed law enforcement and implemented additional security measures to bolster its systems.
Importantly, the incident did not compromise the safety of travel to or from SEA Airport or the operation of maritime facilities. The proprietary systems of major airlines and cruise line partners, along with those of federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, remained unaffected.
Source: Seattle Medium
