PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Officials held a press conference on Saturday to discuss the RIBridge system cybersecurity breach and how residents can protect their personal data.  On Dec. 13, Governor Dan McKee announced that the personal information of thousands was compromised in a cybersecurity attack, and that anyone who has ever received or applied for health coverage or human service benefits through the state could be impacted. On Saturday, McKee said that the data in RIBridge’s system could be exposed soon. “Based on our latest information we have, the data could be exposed in the near future, as early as this coming week based on the information we currently have,” McKee said. Rhode Island Director of Human Services Kim Brito said EBT cards have not yet seen customer information leaked, but urges card owners to take precautions. McKee said officials have been meeting throughout the day to discuss the breach, and plan to meet tomorrow as well. “We will continue to update as we get timely information,” McKee said. Additionally, he said Deloitte hired someone who is currently negotiating with the criminals who hacked the RIBridge’s system. In the meantime, officials recommend anyone who may have had their information breached to take multiple precautions. CISA US Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Advisor Michael Tetreault urges Rhode Islanders who may be impacted by the cybersecurity breach to take the following precautions to protect identity: Engage with the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to monitor credit Engage with the organizations and have them protect your credit and identity Take a look at their free services Use the additional credit monitoring provided by Deloitte during this time Look at your credit and monitor it to make sure nobody is trying to use your credit without your knowledge Lock your credit – if someone does try to take out a loan in your name it will be stopped Protect access to you accounts: take advantage of multi-factor authentication In addition to username and password, sign up for a second security method For example, sign up for a code through text, email, or call over the phone If someone does not have your phone, they will not get that code and will not be able to get into your account Have a long password for your accounts 4-6 characters is not sufficient, easily broken The length of passwords is important, make sure they are at least 10-12 characters long For Rhode Island residents who have EBT cards, Rhode Island Director of Human Services Kim Brito gave the following tips to prevent the cards from being used: Put a freeze on the card Go to cardholder portal Select “account” in account summary Select “freeze card” Confirm To unfreeze card, follow the same steps, but choose “unfreeze card” instead of “freeze card” Change the pin number for your account frequently Never give anyone your pin number, especially over text or email Update pin number every issuance A dedicated call center for impacted customers will be available Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. , as well as Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For security purposes, the Department of Human Services is converting back to paper applications for EBT cards on Dec. 16. For more information on the latest information and security tips, visit here. For more information on EBT card safety, visit here. For anyone who believes their card may have been compromised, call EBT’s customer service line at 1-888-979-9939. Categories: News, Providence, Rhode Island