Gardendale residents notified after cyber breach exposes sensitive personal data

GARDENDALE, Ala. (WBMA) — Some Gardendale residents are being notified that their personal information may have been exposed in a cybersecurity breach involving the city’s computer network.

According to a notification letter sent to affected individuals, the City of Gardendale discovered unauthorized access to part of its computer network on June 7, 2025. During an investigation, officials found that certain files were potentially copied without permission on or before that date.

The city says the exposed information may have included residents’ names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.

In the letter, the city said it completed a review of the affected files and identified the people impacted before arranging to send notification letters and offer complimentary identity monitoring services.

A portion of the letter received by some residents reads as followed:

The City of Gardendale writes to notify you about a matter that involves some of your information. This letter provides you with information about this matter, our response, and steps you may take if you believe those steps are appropriate.

What Happened? On June 7, 2025, the City of Gardendale became aware of unauthorized access to a portion of our computer network. In response, we took steps to verify the security of our computer network and determine what occurred. During our review of this matter, we identified that certain files were potentially copied without permission on or before June 7, 2025. After identifying the files, we completed a comprehensive review to determine their contents and to whom the contents related. We also worked to identify contact information so we could let those individuals know about this matter, which we completed on or around February 10, 2026. We then arranged to provide notification with complimentary identity monitoring services.

What Information Was Involved? The information identified during the file review included your name and the following: Social Security number and driver license number.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals to ensure they are aware of this matter and to provide complimentary identity monitoring services. Additionally, we are providing individuals with free resources and guidance on how to protect their information, should they feel the need to do so. While no safeguards can fully prevent all cybersecurity matters, we are evaluating additional technical measures, as well as reviewing our staff training and supervision practices, to reduce the risk of an issue like this reoccurring. We will continue to evaluate and update our policies and practices as appropriate.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing their account statements and monitoring their free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also encourage individuals to review the “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information” section of this letter. This section contains free resources that are available, including guidance for monitoring free credit reports, how to place a fraud alert of security freeze on credit files, and contact information for the consumer reporting agencies and Federal Trade Commission.

Individuals may also enroll in the identity monitoring services, which are being provided for free. Enrollment instructions are in the “Enroll in Monitoring Services” section of this letter. Please note that, due to privacy restrictions, we are unable to automatically enroll you in the complimentary identity monitoring services.

Gardendale Mayor Stan Hogeland confirmed to ABC 33/40’s I-Team that the letter is legitimate and that the city did experience a system breach. Hogeland said even his own mother received one of the letters.

The mayor said incidents like this can happen to any organization and that the city is taking steps to strengthen its cybersecurity systems to prevent something similar from happening again.

The city says it is also reviewing staff training, supervision practices, and additional technical safeguards as part of its response.

Hogeland is urging anyone who received the notice to read it carefully, enroll in the free identity monitoring services being offered, and monitor financial accounts and credit reports for suspicious activity.

The ABC 33/40 I-Team is continuing to follow this story and will provide updates as more information becomes available.