[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fMGvxsmnQFydxXBUnvntibMAu6gP9hwelOEXRopk1kpk":3},{"article":4,"iocs":45},{"id":5,"title":6,"slug":7,"summary":8,"ai_summary":9,"brief":10,"full_text":11,"url":12,"image_url":13,"published_at":14,"ingested_at":15,"relevance_score":16,"entities":17,"category_id":27,"category":28,"article_tags":32},"d9d96472-1565-4837-a44c-d05f3c4509bf","Texas Parks and Wildlife Data Breach Affects Over 3M License Customers","texas-parks-and-wildlife-data-breach-affects-over-3m-license-customers-668ab7","Around 3 million Texas licence holders face a data breach after hackers targeted a third-party vendor, exposing driver's licences and passport numbers.","A data breach at a third-party vendor for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has exposed the personal information of over 3 million hunting and fishing license holders. The stolen data includes driver's license and passport numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, and home addresses. A threat actor known as 'w1kkid' claimed responsibility for the attack on a cybercrime forum.","Texas Parks and Wildlife data breach exposes personal info of over 3M license holders.","Data Breaches SecurityTexas Parks and Wildlife Data Breach Affects Over 3M License Customers Around 3 million Texas licence holders face a data breach after hackers targeted a third-party vendor, exposing driver’s licences and passport numbers. byDeeba AhmedJune 22, 20262 minute read Listen to this article 0:00 — ← 10s ▶ Play 10s → Speed 0.75× 1× 1.25× 1.5× 2× Voice Loading voices… Press play to start listening More than three million people who bought hunting and fishing licenses in Texas are facing a range of risks due to a data breach, which is being dubbed one of the biggest cyberattacks reported in the state this year. According to an official data security incident notification released by the department, on June 18, hackers targeted the computer systems of a third-party vendor that sells these licenses for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The incident is currently being investigated by a state security team called the Texas Cyber Command. What Data Was Taken? Reportedly, an unauthorised actor managed to infiltrate the vendor’s private network, and could’ve gotten away with personal details like email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, driver’s licence details, and passport numbers. However, the TPWD has confirmed that the hackers didn’t manage to steal highly sensitive data. This means Social Security numbers, birthdays, and banking details like credit cards are completely safe. Also, there is no evidence that children under 18 years old were involved. This could be because the hackers didn’t seem to focus on any specific group of people. Even some of the department’s own workers had their details stolen because they hunt and fish too. “We recognise the seriousness of this issue and have identified and implemented additional security options to better protect customer information,” TPWD officials stated. The Hacker Behind the Breach Hackread.com also found a listing on a cybercrime forum where a user using the handle w1kkid claimed responsibility for the Texas Parks and Wildlife data breach and offered the alleged database for sale in Monero (XMR). The post claimed the dataset contained 3,190,363 records linked to hunting and fishing license buyers and listed fields such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, driver’s license details, and other personal attributes. The listing was later updated to indicate that the data had been sold, though TPWD’s official notice says Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and financial information were not obtained in the incident. Image credit: Hackread.com) Changing the Security Systems The state agency hasn’t yet shared the hacked third-party vendor’s name or exactly who hacked it, or the specific attack method used in the breach. However, the agency is changing how its data is viewed to make things safer. They are improving access control measures on customer profiles and will monitor their computer networks much more closely. People can still buy their hunting and fishing licences as usual. The next sales are due to start this August. How to Protect Yourself The department is working with a security firm called Kroll to help the affected people and is offering Texas residents a full year of free credit monitoring to help them monitor their financial records for suspicious changes. Interested individuals need to sign up by September 14, 2026. For staying safe, a good option is freezing your credit with the main credit agencies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It is free and can stop scammers from opening new bank accounts using your name. Lastly, always check your bank statements and never click on strange links in emails. Deeba Ahmed Deeba is a veteran cybersecurity reporter at Hackread.com with over a decade of experience covering cybercrime, vulnerabilities, and security events. Her expertise and in-depth analysis make her a key contributor to the platform’s trusted coverage. Waqas I am a UK-based cybersecurity journalist with a passion for covering the latest happenings in cybersecurity and tech world. I am also into gaming, reading and investigative journalism. Cyber AttackCybersecuritydata breachPrivacysecurityTexasVulnerability Leave a Reply Cancel reply View Comments (0) Related Posts Security Android Apple Scams and Fraud Pig Butchering: Fake Trading Apps Target Crypto on Apple, Google Play Stores Pig Butchering scam targets crypto users with fake trading apps on Apple and Google Play Stores. 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