Minneapolis parking app users notified of March data breach

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - ParkMobile, the developer of the MPLS Parking mobile app that can be used to pay for parking meters throughout Minneapolis, notified users Wednesday of a data breach. 

ParkMobile said that in March, it became aware of a "cybersecurity incident linked to a vulnerability in a third-party software" the company uses. The company immediately launched an investigation with the help of a cybersecurity firm to investigate the hack. 

The investigation found basic user information - including license plate numbers, email addresses, phone numbers and vehicle nicknames, if provided by the user - was accessed as well as a small percentage of mailing addresses. Encrypted passwords were also accessed but not the encryption keys required to read them. 

No credit card information or data related to a user’s parking transaction history was accessed, according to ParkMobile. The third-party vulnerability has since been eliminated and ParkMobile said it notified law enforcement of the incident.  

ParkMobile is encouraging users to change their password for the MPLS Parking app. 

FOX 9 has reached out to the City of Minneapolis for comment on the parking app’s data breach.