OKC forensic testing company data breach may have compromised victims' personal data

Jana Hayes, Oklahoman
·1 min read
In this 2018 photo, swabs and evidence tags that are part of a rape kit sit on a table in one of the YWCA's exam rooms in Oklahoma City. A recent security breach at a company the Oklahoma City Police Department used to process rape kits may have compromised personal and medical information of sexual assault victims.
In this 2018 photo, swabs and evidence tags that are part of a rape kit sit on a table in one of the YWCA's exam rooms in Oklahoma City. A recent security breach at a company the Oklahoma City Police Department used to process rape kits may have compromised personal and medical information of sexual assault victims.

A company the Oklahoma City Police Department previously used to process sexual assault kits experienced a security breach last November that may have compromised sexual assault victims' personal information.

The breach occurred Nov. 18, 2021, when an unauthorized party accessed the network of DNA Solutions Inc., a private Oklahoma City company performing forensic testing, according to a statement sent through the Gooden Group public relations firm.

While some personal and medical information may have been vulnerable, compromised data did not include Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, or financial information, according to the statement.

"We have notified individuals or organizations whose data may have been impacted directly and encourage those who receive a letter to enroll in complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services out of an abundance of caution," the statement said.

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The company did not respond to questions from The Oklahoman, sent to the Gooden Group, regarding the scope of the incident and how many individuals data may have been impacted by the time of publication.

Oklahoma City Police Department spokesperson Gary Knight said the department no longer uses DNA Solutions forensic services, but he said he did not know when the contract ended.

The police department will send out its own notification of the data breach to individuals who participated in the department's sexual assault kit collections, according to a statement from police.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Hack of OKC forensic testing firm compromised personal information