On Friday the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) publicly notified the public about an incident that it learned about Nov. 21, 2024. Then, the HHSC learned that, allegedly, employees from within its own office improperly accessed the information of 61,104 Texans who receive public assistance including Medicaid and food stamps.
"HHSC took immediate steps to mitigate the breach by terminating the employees involved and referring the incident to the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) for investigation and coordination with prosecutor offices to pursue criminal charges," read a statement Friday from the HHSC.
Specifically, the 61,104 Texans whose accounts may have been compromised either applied or received state assistance between June 2021 and December 2024. The HHSC will notify those affected and offer them two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. Those who believe they have been affected can also call the HHSC at 866-362-1773 during weekday work hours, using the engagement number B138648.
This isn't the first break of trust from within the HHSC, however. The Texas Tribune reports that earlier in the year, an employee said she illegally possessed the information of 3,392 Texans. Plus, two other employees were found to have allegedly stolen $270,000 from around 500 food stamp accounts. The HHSC fired all seven employees accused in the various incidents.
The Tribune reports that HHSC has fraud investigation tools in place, but they're focused on investigating threats from the outside. In fact, just a few weeks ago the state awarded a $170.9 million contract to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to provide cybersecurity services to help protect state networks.
"We are excited to support our clients' cybersecurity services by applying cutting-edge technologies to enhance the speed of delivery and stay ahead of emerging threats," said SAIC Civilian Business Group Executive Vice President Srini Attili, in an announcement. "This award expands our cybersecurity work in Texas, and is a result of our employees' expertise, investment in innovation and commitment to integrating solutions that will deliver superior service for the Texas government and its citizens."
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