The City of Houston inadvertently exposed a data breach affecting **7,525 current and former Houston Fire Department (HFD) employees** after sharing a link intended for promotion exam information. The link, distributed by the city’s Human Resources Director, granted unauthorized access to **non-password-protected folders containing Social Security numbers (SSNs)**. While the city initially blamed HFD members for accessing and downloading the data, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association (HPFFA) denied responsibility, asserting the breach stemmed from the city’s failure to secure the link. The exposure was accidental, with no evidence of malicious intent, but it resulted in the compromise of sensitive employee PII (Personally Identifiable Information). The incident highlights systemic lapses in data protection protocols within municipal operations, raising concerns over accountability and internal safeguards for handling confidential records.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/city-of-houston
"id": "cit3062330110525",
"linkid": "city-of-houston",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "11/2025",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Public Administration',
'location': 'Houston, Texas, USA',
'name': 'City of Houston',
'type': 'Government (Municipal)'},
{'customers_affected': '7,525 (current and former HFD '
'members)',
'industry': 'Public Safety',
'location': 'Houston, Texas, USA',
'name': 'Houston Fire Department (HFD)',
'type': 'Government Agency (Fire/EMS)'}],
'attack_vector': 'Misconfigured/Unsecured Link (Human Error)',
'customer_advisories': ['Letter from HR Director Jane E. Cheeks to HFD '
'Members'],
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'No (Data Was Not Password-Protected)',
'data_exfiltration': 'Yes (Downloaded by at Least One HFD '
'Employee)',
'number_of_records_exposed': '7,525',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (SSNs)',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Personally Identifiable '
'Information - PII)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers '
'(SSNs)']},
'description': 'The City of Houston inadvertently shared a link intended for '
'firefighters’ promotion exam information, which led at least '
'one Houston Fire Department (HFD) employee to access '
'unprotected folders containing Social Security numbers (SSNs) '
'of 7,525 current and former HFD members. The city initially '
'blamed HFD members for accessing the data, but the Houston '
'Professional Fire Fighters Association (HPFFA) denied '
'responsibility, stating the breach was due to the city’s '
'failure to secure the link. The access was described as '
'inadvertent by city officials.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Negative (Public Dispute Over '
'Responsibility; Erosion of Trust in '
"City's Data Handling)",
'data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers (SSNs)'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (SSNs of 7,525 Individuals Exposed)',
'operational_impact': 'Potential Trust Erosion Between City and '
'HFD Members; Reputational Harm'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (Dispute Over Responsibility; No Formal '
'Investigation Details Provided)',
'lessons_learned': 'Importance of access controls for shared links, even when '
'distributed internally; need for clear accountability in '
'data handling processes; transparent communication during '
'incident response to avoid blame-shifting.',
'motivation': 'Accidental (No Malicious Intent)',
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['Lack of access controls (no '
'password protection) for the '
'shared link.',
'Human error in distributing the '
'link without verifying security '
'measures.',
'Inadequate oversight of '
'data-sharing practices by the '
'City of Houston.']},
'recommendations': ['Implement mandatory password protection for all shared '
'links containing sensitive data.',
'Conduct regular audits of data-sharing practices to '
'prevent unintentional exposures.',
'Provide training for employees on secure data handling '
'and reporting procedures.',
'Establish a clear incident response protocol to avoid '
'public disputes over responsibility.'],
'references': [{'source': 'KPRC 2 Investigates'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Internal Letter from HR Director '
'(Jane E. Cheeks) to HFD Members; '
'Public Statements by HPFFA President '
'Patrick Lancton'],
'containment_measures': ['Blocking Access to the Unsecured Link'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes (Fire Chief Blocked '
'Unauthorized Access After '
'Being Notified)'},
'title': "City of Houston Firefighters' Data Breach via Unsecured Link",
'type': 'Data Breach (Unintentional Exposure)',
'vulnerability_exploited': 'Lack of Access Controls (No Password Protection)'}