Texas Cyber Command is reporting a data breach involving the personal information of more than 3 million people who obtained hunting and fishing licenses from the state. The breach, involving a vendor for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), occurred last Thursday.
According to TPWD, Texas Cyber Command's investigation showed an unauthorized actor may have obtained driver's license information, passport numbers, email addresses, phone numbers and residential addresses from more than 3 million Texas hunting and fishing license customers. The department said Social Security numbers, financial information and birthdates were not compromised.
The parks and wildlife department said it recognizes the “seriousness of this issue,” adding that “many” of its staff are anglers and hunters who were affected by the breach.
"TPWD is working closely with the license system vendor to implement new safeguards and enhanced monitoring services," the department said in its official notification about the incident. "Immediate steps were taken to strengthen access controls for customer profile data, and additional security features will be added in the future."
Texas Cyber Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The parks and wildlife department said affected customers are eligible to receive one year of free credit monitoring through Kroll. Customers can confirm their eligibility by contacting a dedicated call center at 844- 959-7123. The enrollment deadline for free credit monitoring is Sept. 14.
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