Minnesota Department of Human Services: Minnesota Department of Human Services data breach impacts 300K

Minnesota Department of Human Services Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of 304,000 Individuals

A data breach at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) compromised the private information of nearly 304,000 individuals, the agency disclosed in a January 16 notification letter. The unauthorized access occurred approximately four months before affected individuals were informed.

The breach involved a system managed by the DHS, though the department stated there is no current evidence that the exposed data was misused. To mitigate potential risks, the agency’s Office of Inspector General is actively monitoring billing records for signs of fraudulent activity. Impacted individuals were advised to review their healthcare statements and credit reports for suspicious activity.

The DHS has not provided further details on the cause of the breach or the specific types of data accessed. The incident highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in state-managed systems handling sensitive personal information.

Source: https://www.redlakenationnews.com/story/2026/01/20/news/minnesota-department-of-human-services-data-breach-impacts-300k/137723.html

Minnesota Department of Human Services cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/minnesota-department-of-human-services

"id": "MIN1768885020",
"linkid": "minnesota-department-of-human-services",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "9/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '304,000 individuals',
                        'industry': 'Public Sector',
                        'location': 'Minnesota, USA',
                        'name': 'Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)',
                        'type': 'Government Agency'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'Review healthcare statements and credit reports for '
                        'suspicious activity.',
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '304,000',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (private information)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personal information'},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-01-16',
 'description': 'A data breach at the Minnesota Department of Human Services '
                '(DHS) compromised the private information of nearly 304,000 '
                'individuals. The unauthorized access occurred approximately '
                'four months before affected individuals were informed. The '
                'breach involved a system managed by the DHS, though the '
                'department stated there is no current evidence that the '
                'exposed data was misused.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Personal information of 304,000 individuals',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'Potential risk due to exposed personal '
                                   'information',
            'systems_affected': 'DHS-managed system'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'recommendations': 'Affected individuals were advised to review their '
                    'healthcare statements and credit reports for suspicious '
                    'activity.',
 'references': [{'source': 'DHS Notification Letter'}],
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Notification letter sent to affected '
                                        'individuals',
              'enhanced_monitoring': 'Active monitoring of billing records for '
                                     'fraudulent activity by the Office of '
                                     'Inspector General'},
 'title': 'Minnesota Department of Human Services Data Breach',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}