Illinois DHS Data Breach Exposes Records of 700,000 Residents
The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) has confirmed a data breach affecting approximately 700,000 residents, exposing sensitive personal and program-related information. The breach involved two distinct sets of records: data tied to over 672,000 Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program recipients including addresses, case numbers, demographic details, and medical assistance plan names and records of 32,000 Division of Rehabilitation Services customers, which included names, addresses, case details, and referral information.
The incident came to light after unauthorized access to a DHS system was detected, though the agency has not yet disclosed full technical details. The breach is believed to have occurred over multiple years, with the exposed data containing personally identifiable information (PII). While the investigation remains ongoing, officials have begun notifying impacted individuals.
Government data breaches pose unique risks, as exposed records such as Social Security numbers, case details, and benefits information cannot be easily changed or erased. This makes the compromised data particularly valuable to cybercriminals, who may use it for identity theft, fraudulent benefit claims, phishing scams, or long-term impersonation. Even if no immediate misuse occurs, stolen data often resurfaces in future attacks.
The Illinois DHS has stated it is taking steps to secure its systems and prevent future incidents. However, the breach underscores the vulnerabilities in state-managed data systems and the lasting consequences for affected individuals.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/tech/illinois-dhs-data-breach-exposes-700k-residents-records
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/il-department-of-public-health
"id": "IL-1768941470",
"linkid": "il-department-of-public-health",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '700,000 residents',
'industry': 'Public Sector / Human Services',
'location': 'Illinois, USA',
'name': 'Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS)',
'type': 'Government Agency'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Notifying impacted individuals',
'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '704,000 (672,000 '
'Medicaid/Medicare + 32,000 '
'Rehabilitation Services)',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (including '
'potential Social '
'Security numbers)',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (PII, medical and benefits '
'information)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Addresses',
'Case numbers',
'Demographic details',
'Medical assistance plan names',
'Names',
'Case details',
'Referral information']},
'description': 'The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) has confirmed '
'a data breach affecting approximately 700,000 residents, '
'exposing sensitive personal and program-related information. '
'The breach involved two distinct sets of records: data tied '
'to over 672,000 Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program '
'recipients including addresses, case numbers, demographic '
'details, and medical assistance plan names and records of '
'32,000 Division of Rehabilitation Services customers, which '
'included names, addresses, case details, and referral '
'information. The incident came to light after unauthorized '
'access to a DHS system was detected, though the agency has '
'not yet disclosed full technical details. The breach is '
'believed to have occurred over multiple years, with the '
'exposed data containing personally identifiable information '
'(PII).',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential long-term reputational '
'damage',
'data_compromised': 'Sensitive personal and program-related '
'information, including PII',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
'systems_affected': 'DHS system'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'references': [{'source': 'Cyber Incident Description'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Notifying impacted individuals',
'remediation_measures': 'Securing systems to prevent future '
'incidents'},
'title': 'Illinois DHS Data Breach Exposes Records of 700,000 Residents',
'type': 'Data Breach'}