Texas Parks and Wildlife Department disclosed a data breach affecting more than 3 million hunting and fishing license customers after a cyberattack hit the third-party vendor that handles license sales for the state agency.
Driver's license information, passport numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, and residential addresses are among the data that an unauthorized actor may have accessed, according to the department, which said Texas Cyber Command discovered the incident. The compromised data did not include Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or any financial information such as credit card details. TPWD said it has found no indication that minors or any particular demographic group were singled out.
As SecurityWeek reported, the identity of the vendor has been withheld, and the party responsible for the attack has not been identified.
Customer profile data access controls have been tightened, and the department said it is coordinating with the vendor on further security improvements going forward. License sales will continue on schedule for August and the next license year, the department said.
Among those whose data was exposed are TPWD employees, a number of whom hold hunting and fishing licenses themselves. In a public statement, the agency said: "We recognize the seriousness of this issue and have identified and implemented additional security options to better protect customer information."
People whose information was affected can sign up for free credit monitoring for one year through Kroll. To check if they are eligible, they can call (844) 959-7123, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central Time. The deadline to enroll is September 14, 2026.
TPWD also advised affected customers to review credit reports and financial statements for unauthorized activity, consider freezing their credit with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and be alert to scammers who may use personal information to impersonate companies or officials.
The Dallas Morning News noted that the Texas Legislature established Texas Cyber Command in 2025, giving the state a dedicated unit for responding to digital threats.