Montpelier, VT – The personal information of 7,000 members of the Vermont State Teachers Retirement System was stolen in a cybersecurity attack.

Deputy Treasurer Gavin Boyles says names, dates of birth, addresses, and medical and insurance information were stolen, but no social security numbers were involved. He said the attack targeted software used by two companies that are third-party vendors of the retirement system.

Boyles said the breach was part of a nationwide attack involving about 3 million people and that federal authorities are investigating. It happened May, he said, but the victims were not notified until June 2.

Boyles attributed the delay in notifying potential victims to the need to provide Vermonters with detailed information about the breach.

“We always try to move quickly, but we also have to be sure to get it right,” he said. “Individuals in other states largely got a generic letter. We were not satisfied with that letter and felt it was important to negotiate Vermont-specific language so people would understand how/why their data was involved.”