News-press & Gazette Company Data Breach Exposes SSNs, Names & More

News-Press & Gazette Company, a long-standing media organization based in St. Joseph, Missouri, recently experienced a significant data breach that exposed personally identifiable information of hundreds of individuals across the U.S. The breach was severe in both scope and method. The exposure of PII such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth raises the risk of identity theft for those affected.

The breach was first discovered on Sept. 4, 2025, when the company detected unauthorized access to its network. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the incident occurred between Sept. 4 and Sept. 25, 2025, during which time sensitive information was accessed and copied by an unauthorized party.

The hacking group known as TERMITE claimed responsibility, posting about the incident on the dark web on Sept. 16, 2025. TERMITE stated that they had obtained internal financial statements, credit applications and a range of sensitive information. The data exposed included full names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth. In addition, leaked samples reportedly contained passport scans, email addresses, phone numbers, residential and billing addresses, emergency contact details and organizational affiliations.

According to disclosures filed with state regulators, at least 531 Texas residents and 22 Massachusetts residents were impacted. The company disclosed the data breach to the Attorney General's offices in Massachusetts and Texas on Dec. 17, 2025, and posted a Notice of Data Breach on its website. Impacted individuals have been notified by mail.

News-Press & Gazette Company's response

Upon learning of the incident, News-Press & Gazette Company immediately launched a comprehensive investigation and engaged external cybersecurity professionals to assess and contain the breach. The company conducted a manual review of the compromised data and determined on Nov. 17, 2025, that personal information had indeed been accessed.

To support those affected, the company is offering a complimentary one-year membership to a credit monitoring service through Cyberscout, a TransUnion company. This service includes single bureau credit monitoring, a credit report and a credit score at no charge. Impacted individuals are encouraged to enroll within 90 days of receiving their notification letter.

If you believe your personal information may have been compromised in this breach:

• Carefully review any notice or communication you receive from News-press & Gazette Company.
• Monitor financial accounts and credit reports for signs of identity theft.
• Consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes with the major credit bureaus.
• Be cautious of unsolicited emails or phone calls requesting personal information.

For impacted individuals, the company has set up a dedicated call center at 833-877-1266, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.