Sangamon Sun

The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office has issued a notice regarding a data breach that may have exposed the personal information of residents. Approximately 50,000 individuals received letters about a “data security incident” from early April, in which an unidentified person accessed the Lake County government’s computer system and sent phishing emails to employees of the Illinois Secretary of State.

According to the letter, names, driver’s licenses, and Social Security numbers were potentially exposed. In a statement shared by NBC Chicago, the office clarified: “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 mentioned plans to enhance cybersecurity measures to prevent future incidents.

In another development, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced grant recipients for local projects aimed at improving safety for children traveling to school. The Safe Routes to School program is managed by IDOT with federal funding. It focuses on upgrading sidewalks, curbing speeding and traffic violations near schools, and conducting public education initiatives.

A total of $9.8 million in grants will be distributed across 47 communities in Illinois for infrastructure improvements intended to prevent accidents and promote healthy habits among children. Recipients in the 51st District include Dwight and Gardner. A full list of grant recipients can be found at http://www.idot.illinois.gov/srts.

Additionally, it is noted that June 20 marks the June solstice—the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere—when Earth reaches its maximum tilt towards the Sun.

Financially, as of now, Illinois owes $850 million to state vendors with 27,471 pending vouchers. This figure does not account for estimated debts like unfunded pension liabilities which exceed $139 billion. Last year at this time, accounts payable stood at just under $2 billion.