More than three weeks after a cyberattack on July 28 disrupted a vital communication line for Georgia's SNAP beneficiaries, the state's Department of Human Services (DHS) continues to grapple with the consequences, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. The automated bots that targeted the DHS's third-party call center have left recipients without access to essential services, and the system was taken offline again after a brief period of service restoration as a precautionary measure.
In response to the attack and amidst ongoing service disruptions, Georgia DHS has advised SNAP recipients to take increased security measures, such as locking their EBT cards between purchases, changing their PINs, and watching for any unusual account activity. This guidance comes at a time when many are already facing the burden of uncertainty, not knowing if their personal information or benefits have been affected by the cyber incident.
In an effort to mitigate risks, the DHS confirmed to 11Alive that "Clients potentially impacted by the recent cyberattack were issued a replacement EBT card"; these new cards have been sent out to potentially affected individuals and will disconnect the previous cards, requiring recipients to use the new ones to access their accounts and funds.
While Georgia continues its recovery from the cyberattack, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has noted similar issues in six other states, prompting a broader review of the security measures surrounding these critical support systems. As the SNAP recipients await a return to normalcy, the DHS Customer Contact Center remains available for personal assistance, reachable at 1-877-423-4746, or via email at [email protected] for those in need of additional support during this period.
