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Illinois Secretary of State’s Office Issues Notice of Data Breach
The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office is warning Illinois residents of a data breach that may have exposed their personal data.
Out of an abundance of caution, around 50,000 residents received letters concerning a “data security incident” that occurred in early April. The letter stated that an unidentified individual gained access to the Lake County government’s computer system and sent a phishing email to Illinois Secretary of State employees. The letter noted that the breach had potentially exposed names, driver’s licenses, and Social Security numbers.
In a statement shared by NBC Chicago, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office said, “The office’s Department of Information Technology and cyber security teams acted within hours to contain and mitigate the phishing incident, and none of the agency’s databases, including those containing driver and vehicle records, were compromised.” The Office also noted that they intend to enhance cybersecurity measures and plan to reinforce the security frameworks against future attacks.
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IDOT Safe Route Grants Aims to Enhance School Travel Safety
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced grant recipients for local projects to improve safety and accessibility for children traveling to school.
Safe Routes to School is a federal program managed by IDOT that aims to improve safety and encourage active transportation around elementary, middle, and high schools. The program focuses on upgrading and installing sidewalks, implementing measures to curb speeding and traffic violations, and conducting public education and outreach initiatives.
The grants, totaling $9.8 million across 47 Illinois communities, prioritize infrastructure improvements that help prevent accidents, foster independence among children, and help create healthy habits.
Recipients in the 51st District include Dwight and Gardner. To view a complete list of grant recipients, visit http://www.idot.illinois.gov/srts.
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Did You Know?
The June solstice occurs on Thursday, June 20th. The solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt, about 23.5 degrees, towards the Sun. This results in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year.
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How much do we owe?
As of the time of this writing, the State of Illinois owes $850,984,902.71 to state vendors, including 27,471 pending vouchers. This figure represents the amount of bills submitted to the office of the Comptroller and still awaiting payment. It does not include debts that can only be estimated, such as our unfunded pension liability which is subject to a wide range of factors and has been estimated to be more than $139 billion. At the same time last year, the state’s accounts payable stood at a little less than $2 billion.
This Week in the 53rd District
Working full-time to represent you!
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