Minnesota Department of Public Safety: Minnesota DPS data leak temporarily made hundreds of people’s criminal history records public

Minnesota Data Leak Exposes Nearly 600 Criminal History Records

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) revealed that a system error temporarily exposed the criminal history records of 595 individuals online. The incident occurred when a technical failure prevented the system from recognizing recent court updates, causing records intended to remain private to become publicly accessible on the state’s criminal history website.

Officials confirmed that the issue has since been resolved, but the exposure affected records that should have been restricted. The DPS did not specify how long the data was accessible or whether any unauthorized access occurred. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in state-managed criminal justice databases and the potential risks of unintended data disclosures.

Source: https://www.kaaltv.com/news/minnesota-dps-data-leak-temporarily-made-hundreds-of-peoples-criminal-history-records-public/

Minnesota Department of Public Safety - DPS cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/minnesota-department-of-public-safety

"id": "MIN1773268407",
"linkid": "minnesota-department-of-public-safety",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "3/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '595 individuals',
                        'industry': 'Public Safety / Law Enforcement',
                        'location': 'Minnesota, USA',
                        'name': 'Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) '
                                'and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)',
                        'type': 'Government Agency'}],
 'attack_vector': 'System Error',
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '595',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Likely included',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': 'Criminal history records'},
 'description': 'The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Bureau of '
                'Criminal Apprehension (BCA) revealed that a system error '
                'temporarily exposed the criminal history records of 595 '
                'individuals online. The incident occurred when a technical '
                'failure prevented the system from recognizing recent court '
                'updates, causing records intended to remain private to become '
                'publicly accessible on the state’s criminal history website.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential risks of unintended data '
                                       'disclosures',
            'data_compromised': 'Criminal history records of 595 individuals',
            'systems_affected': 'State’s criminal history website'},
 'lessons_learned': 'Highlights vulnerabilities in state-managed criminal '
                    'justice databases',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Technical failure preventing '
                                           'system from recognizing recent '
                                           'court updates'},
 'references': [{'source': 'Incident disclosure by Minnesota DPS and BCA'}],
 'response': {'containment_measures': 'Issue resolved'},
 'title': 'Minnesota Data Leak Exposes Nearly 600 Criminal History Records',
 'type': 'Data Leak',
 'vulnerability_exploited': 'Technical failure in recognizing court updates'}