Humboldt County Office of Education discovered on or around June 28, 2024 that an employee email account had been accessed without authorization. After bringing in third-party cybersecurity specialists, the investigation determined that a limited number of employee email accounts were accessed by an unauthorized party between May 25, 2024 and June 27, 2024. This points to a hacking or system intrusion involving the school office’s email environment rather than a lost device or an internal employee misusing access.
The letter states that the affected individuals’ first and last names were found in the compromised email accounts, in combination with another piece of personal information. The copy of the notification letter provided to us cuts off before naming that additional data element, so we cannot confirm exactly what it was — but the fact that Humboldt County Office of Education is offering a full year of credit monitoring is a strong signal that the exposed information was sensitive enough to warrant that level of protection. If you received this letter, the specific data element affecting you should be listed in the version mailed to your address.
What information was exposed?
- First and last name
- An additional personal data element paired with your name (the specific type was not spelled out in the letter text made available to us — check your own copy of the letter for the exact detail)
Humboldt County Office of Education is offering 12 months of free Single Bureau Credit Monitoring, Single Bureau Credit Report, and Single Bureau Credit Score services through Cyberscout. To enroll, log on to https://bfs.cyberscout.com/activate and enter the unique code provided in your letter. You must enroll within 90 days from the date of the letter, dated May 13, 2025, and the office recommends enrolling from a personal device.
What should you do now?
- Enroll in the free credit monitoring offered in your letter before the 90-day deadline passes.
- Read your specific letter carefully to identify exactly what data element was paired with your name — this detail was not consistent across all copies of the notice.
- Review your credit reports and account statements regularly for unfamiliar accounts or inquiries, and pull your free annual report at www.annualcreditreport.com.
- Consider placing a fraud alert or a credit freeze with TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax, especially if you’re unsure what information was exposed.
- Watch for phishing emails or calls that reference this incident, since scammers sometimes use breach news to impersonate legitimate organizations.
- For ongoing peace of mind, consider signing up for a service like Aura or LifeLock, which can alert you if your information appears elsewhere.
- If you notice suspicious activity, report it to the financial institution involved, your local police department, and the FTC at www.identitytheft.gov.
If you have questions, Humboldt County Office of Education can be reached at 1-833-998-8067 (8:00 AM–8:00 PM Pacific, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays) or by mail at 901 Myrtle Avenue, Eureka, CA 95501.