ID verification giant IDScan confirms data breach with more than 150 million driver’s licenses stolen

ID verification company IDScan has announced a data breach that resulted in the theft of over 150 million driver's licenses. The incident occurred after a report suggested the identity document checker had been compromised during an extensive hack over the course of a year. The company disclosed through a website notice that hackers gained access to the driver's licenses through their cloud storage system.

The stolen data includes individuals' full names, driver's license numbers, and identity numbers from other official documents like passports. IDScan, a Louisiana-based firm that serves corporate clients including entertainment venues and cannabis dispensaries, confirmed it was unaware of the hack until September 1 when they received information about the alleged intrusion.

Independent cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs was the first to report the breach, uncovering a database on the dark web that exposed the driver's license information of more than 150 million people residing in the United States and Canada, including that of high-profile figures such as U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Krebs confirmed the data's authenticity by examining his own record, as well as that of a security researcher.

The Pentagon and the FBI have been notified and are currently investigating the incident. IDScan stated that while the full database requires payment to access, they are notifying potentially affected individuals through their website. The company has not disclosed the exact number of individuals impacted but confirmed they store over 150 million driver's license records.

As of now, IDScan has not commented further on the situation, including any potential ransom demands from the hackers to keep the data private.