Hackers compromised an account at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), gaining access to the Crash Records Information System (CRIS) and downloading almost 300,000 crash reports. The breached data includes names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, car insurance policy numbers, details of injuries sustained during crashes, and narratives of the incidents. Texas officials decided to notify impacted individuals despite no legal requirement to do so. They also created a dedicated call line for victims.

A compromised account within the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) led to unauthorized access and improper downloads of nearly 300,000 crash records from its Crash Records Information System (CRIS). The breach, detected on May 12, 2025, exposed sensitive personal information, including full names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, and car insurance policy details. While legal notification was not mandatory, TxDOT proactively alerted affected individuals via mail and set up a dedicated helpline for assistance.The incident prompted TxDOT to disable the compromised account immediately and enhance security measures to prevent future breaches. The investigation remains ongoing, but the scale of the data exposure—affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals—highlights significant risks to privacy, identity theft, and potential fraud. The breach underscores vulnerabilities in government-held sensitive data, particularly in systems managing critical public records.

Texas Hit by $70.4 Million in Personal Data Breach Losses in 2024, FBI Reports Texas residents lost over $70.4 million in 2024 due to account takeovers and identity fraud, a sharp increase driven by criminals exploiting stolen personal data. According to an FBI Dallas Facebook post on March 9, the losses stem from breaches of bank accounts, investment portfolios, email systems, devices, and cryptocurrency wallets. The figure reflects a growing trend of fraudsters bypassing traditional identity theft to directly drain financial assets. The $70.4 million total marks a significant rise from previous years, with Texas reporting $37 million in 2020, $42 million in 2021, $46 million in 2022, and $31 million in 2023. These losses contribute to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) national tally, which recorded over $16 billion in U.S. cybercrime losses in 2024. Texas ranks among the states with the highest financial impacts, with extortion, personal data breaches, and phishing as the most common complaint types. Criminals leverage stolen data such as Social Security numbers, birthdates, and account credentials to reset passwords, bypass security measures, and siphon funds across linked accounts. A single breach can trigger cascading theft, amplifying financial damage. The IC3’s 2024 Internet Crime Report highlights the scale of these attacks, with personal data breaches generating some of the largest losses nationwide. In response, law enforcement is pushing for faster victim reporting and stronger account protections to disrupt fraudulent transactions before funds are irretrievable. Texas businesses facing breaches must comply with state reporting laws, notifying affected individuals and regulators under guidelines set by the Texas Attorney General. Early reporting aids recovery efforts and helps authorities track emerging fraud patterns. The FBI continues to urge victims to alert financial institutions, file complaints via IC3, and contact local law enforcement, emphasizing that timely reporting strengthens investigations and supports broader enforcement actions.

Texas Department of Transportation suffered another data security incident in May 2022 after an individual posted two posts regarding the incident on a hacking-related forum. The first post included a screencap of an employee’s setup with the employee’s personal information, including SSN, ogin credentials, and the url for the state’s contractor’s payment system, and the second post included a screencap showing listings of a contractor’s projects. According to the person had acquired more than 7,000 individuals’ records which he intended to put on sale.

The website and web service of Texas Department of Transportation was hit by a ransomware attack. An unauthorized access to the agency’s network was responsible for the attck. TxDOT immediately took help of the federal law enforcement and isolated the incident and shut down any unauthorized access.