Ohio Rep's Unemployment Hacking Claims Inaccurate: Agency

COLUMBUS, OH — There is no evidence of hackers gaining access to Ohio's unemployment system, the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services said.

The department issued a statement denying claims of hacking after state Rep. Jeff Crossman, a Democrat from Parma, accused officials of ignoring widespread hacking of Ohioans' personal information.

"Needless to say, I'm deeply alarmed by the lack of urgency on this issue and the denials that hacking has occurred and is ongoing. We have a Cyber Reserve unit of the National Guard that has never been called in to assess the security risks and address security concerns and that alone is unbelievable," Crossman said in a letter to ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder.

When asked for a response to Crossman's claims, a spokesperson for the department said there is no information indicating the unemployment system has been hacked.

"The two most prevalent circumstances in which individuals have been victims of fraud have not been due to hacking. They involve situations in which criminals have obtained access to the victim’s personal information," the spokesperson said in a statement sent to Patch.

In both of those two instances, thieves stole a person's private information and used it to access their accounts through the "front door."

"Hacking is a different scenario in which criminals typically use technology to breach a computer system or network, giving them broader access to that system. ODJFS, in conjunction with the State of Ohio, employs various cybersecurity measures to protect our systems and networks. We do not have any information that would indicate that our systems have been hacked," the spokesperson said.

The department continues to be "vigilant in our cybersecurity and anti-fraud efforts, our efforts to help those who've been victimized, and to provide transparency to the Council and public regarding these efforts," the spokesperson noted.