Houston Health Department Suffers Data Breach Affecting 7,445 Individuals The Houston Health Department, a municipal agency overseeing public health services in Houston, confirmed a data breach impacting 7,445 individuals across the U.S. The incident was detected on December 12, 2025, and formally reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on February 10, 2026, as documented in the HHS breach portal. While the exact scope of exposed data remains unconfirmed, the breach may have compromised personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI), including names, contact details, medical records, and health insurance data. The method of intrusion and responsible parties have not been disclosed. In response, the department published a notice on its website, advising affected individuals to monitor financial accounts, review credit reports, and remain alert for signs of fraud or identity theft. Recommendations included placing fraud alerts or credit freezes with major credit bureaus and reporting suspected misuse to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Given the potential exposure of medical and insurance details, vigilance against healthcare-related fraud was also emphasized. Further details on the breach’s origin and impact are pending.

Houston Health Department suffered a massive data breach after a glitch in the system that exposed the COVID-19 test results and personal information of thousands of its residents. The breach exposed 10,000 COVID results, including patient names, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses, testing dates and test results, which can be used for any malicious intent. The department sent letters to the affected individuals notifying them of the incident and providing information about free identity protection services for one year.