Letter from County Confirms Earlier 101 Computer Security Breach Personal Data Possibly Affected

pKAUFMAN COUNTY Texas Kaufman County officials have confirmed that a second data breach earlier this month may have compromised personal information marking the second computer security incident in OctoberppIn a letter sent to affected residents dated October 1 2025 County Judge Jakie Allen acknowledged that personal information maintained by the county may have been accessed during the security incident The notification distributed through a dataprotection firm called Cyberscout advises residents to monitor their credit reports and offers 24 months of complimentary identityprotection services through TransUnionppAccording to the notice the information potentially affected includes names Social Security numbers and other identifying details used in county records While officials say they have no evidence of misuse the county is urging residents to stay vigilant and take protective actionppThe letter provides instructions on how to place a security freeze on credit reports and how to obtain free copies of credit histories from Equifax Experian and TransUnion It also outlines steps for victims of identity theft including contacting law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission to file reportsppThis newly confirmed breach follows a separate cyber incident on October 20 which disrupted courthouse computer systems and left some employees unable to access files County officials described that earlier event as a security incident noting that emergency services were not affectedppWith two events in the same month questions are now being raised about the overall security of Kaufman Countys computer systems and whether adequate safeguards are in place to prevent future compromisesppResidents who received the letter are encouraged toppActivate the free creditmonitoring services offered through CyberscoutppReview financial accounts and credit reports for unauthorized activityppPlace a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit files to block new accounts from being opened without permissionppReport suspicious activity to the FTC or local law enforcementppThe countys letter stresses that the breach response is ongoing and that officials take this event and the security of information in our care seriouslyppLocal governments across Texas have faced a rising number of cyberattacks in recent years The Texas Department of Information Resources continues to warn counties and municipalities about ransomware and phishing threats targeting public systemsppFor Kaufman County two confirmed security incidents in a single month may represent a turning point in how the region approaches digital infrastructure and data privacy County officials have not indicated whether the same attackers were involved in both breaches but the timing suggests a broader vulnerability in county systemsppAs the investigation continues Kaufman County residents are advised to remain cautious when interacting with emails or messages claiming to come from government offices Phishing scams often follow largescale data breaches exploiting public concern and confusionppppppppppppppYour trusted source for local newspp 2025 Inforney News All rights reservedp