Houston Health Dept Data Breach Affects 7,445 Individuals

Houston Health Department, a city government agency responsible for public health services in Houston, experienced a data breach affecting 7,445 individuals in the United States.

The breach was discovered on Dec. 12, 2025, and subsequently disclosed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 10, 2026. According to the HHS breach portal, the incident involved unauthorized access to sensitive consumer information.

The exposed information included could potentially include both personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI).

Types of compromised data, although currently unconfirmed, may have included names, contact details, medical records, health insurance information, and possibly other details related to public health services.

At this time, details regarding the exact method of the breach and the party responsible have not been publicly disclosed. The department has posted a notice of the data security incident on its website.

Houston Health Department's response

In response to the breach, Houston Health Department has provided guidance on steps to take, such as monitoring financial accounts, reviewing credit reports, and being vigilant for suspicious activity.

It is recommended to consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with major credit bureaus and to report any suspected identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.

Since both PII and PHI were potentially involved, individuals should also be alert for potential misuse of their medical or insurance information.