More than three million people have had their driver’s licence details and passport numbers compromised in Texas after hackers breached a state government department’s external licensing system, according to the state’s attorney general.
The major security incident stands as one of the largest data breaches to hit the US state so far this year.
Texas Parks & Wildlife System Compromised
In an official security notice published on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website, the department revealed that the state’s cybersecurity unit recently identified the breach. The intrusion targeted an external vendor responsible for managing the department’s licensing system, which facilitates the sale of hunting and fishing permits.
At the time of writing, the department has not disclosed the name of the compromised vendor. Furthermore, state officials have not responded to requests for comment regarding the timeline of the attack, the specific nature of the exploit, or whether the hackers have made any extortion demands.
What Personal Information Was Stolen?
Beyond government-issued identification numbers, the hackers successfully exfiltrated a treasure trove of personal data. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department confirmed that the stolen database also contained the email addresses, telephone numbers, and residential addresses of the affected licence holders.