SPRINGFIELD — The personal information of about 1.4 million Illinois job seekers was compromised in a 10-state data breach, the state Department of Employment Services said Friday in a letter to lawmakers.

The breach of America’s JobLink (AJL) system put at risk individuals’ account information including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, AJL said on its website. AJL, an Illinois vendor, is an alliance of workforce organizations that helps connect employers with job seekers.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office said this latest incident is yet another example of why Illinois needs to continue upgrading its cybersecurity systems, something Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she would stop funding.

“The threat of cyber-crime is a clear and present danger to the citizens of Illinois and our administration will continue pressing forward with a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy,” Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis said. “We implore Comptroller Mendoza to re-evaluate her decision to hold up funding for this important project, which everyday puts the people of Illinois at risk.”
According to AJL, a hacker created a job seeker account in its system on Feb. 20 and began accessing the personal information of others. AJL said it discovered the breach on March 12 and immediately notified law enforcement.
In its letter to state lawmakers, the employment department said it was in the process of preparing notices to those who were impacted.
“Incidents such as these further validate the benefits of an enterprise approach to cybersecurity at the State of Illinois, as announced by the Governor this week,” the letter stated. “Our strategy will strengthen Illinois’ ability to prevent, identify and resolve security issues for residents and State services.”