Borough of Westwood, Notice of Potential Data Privacy Incident

WESTWOOD, N.J., June 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On or around December 22, 2018, Westwood became aware of unusual activity on the Westwood network.  Westwood immediately launched an investigation into the activity, which included working with a leading third-party forensic investigation firm, to determine the nature of the activity.  The investigation confirmed that malware was introduced on the network on December 22, 2018.  Through the forensic investigation, Westwood learned that an unauthorized actor may have gained access to certain portions of the Westwood system.  Based on the available evidence, the forensic investigation was unable to determine what, if any, information on the relevant Westwood systems may have been accessed.  Therefore, in an abundance of caution, Westwood is taking to steps to provide notice of this incident.  While, to date, Westwood has no evidence of any attempted or actual misuse of information, the data present in Westwood's systems may include: name, Social Security number, Driver's license number or state identification number, or financial account or credit/debit card. We stress that to date, the investigation has not revealed evidence suggesting any information was viewed, accessed, or obtained by the unauthorized actor. 

Westwood takes this incident and the security of personal information very seriously. Upon discovery of the unauthorized access, Westwood began taking necessary measures to contain the incident and secure the network. Westwood also worked with third-party forensics investigators to determine the full scope of the incident. Westwood is providing notice of this incident and providing information individuals can use to better protect their personal information, if they feel is appropriate to do so.  Westwood also reported this incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the New Jersey State Police, and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Westwood encourages potentially affected individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft or fraud, to review account statements, and to monitor credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law, adults are entitled to obtain one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or calling, toll-free 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also request a free copy of a credit report by contacting the three major credit bureaus directly at: Equifax, P.O. Box 105069, Atlanta, GA, 30348, 1-800-685-1111, www.equifax.com; Experian, P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013, 888-397-3742, www.experian.com; TransUnion, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016, 1-800-680-7289, www.transunion.com. Individuals may also find information regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes and the steps they may take to protect their information by contacting the credit bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission or their state Attorney General.  The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

Westwood established a dedicated line for individuals seeking additional information regarding this incident.  Individuals may call  (877) 830-7929 (toll free), Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with questions or if they would like additional information.  More information may also be found on Westwood's website at https://tinyurl.com/y2njfm35

SOURCE Borough of Westwood