West Texas Gas data breach compromised the data of 56k Texas residents

Texas-based oil & gas company West Texas Gas said it suffered a data breach incident in May that compromised the sensitive personal information of more than 56,000 Texas residents.

In a recent notice of data breach filed with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, West Texas Gas said that it identified unauthorised access to its internal network in May this year and immediately launched an internal investigation to understand the nature and scope of the security incident.

“We concluded that the unauthorised third party gained access to certain systems, copied certain files, and deleted other files. After conducting a complex and lengthy review of the stolen files, on September 13, 2023, we determined that your personal data may have been affected,” it said.

The compromised information includes names and other personal identifiers including Social Security Numbers, tax identification numbers, financial account numbers, credit and debit card numbers along with their security codes, access codes, passwords and PIN. The filing with the regulator also confirms that at least 56,587 individuals were affected by the data breach.

“Upon discovering the incident, we immediately launched an investigation to determine the scope of any unauthorised activity, notified law enforcement, and implemented additional measures designed to enhance the security of our network. 

 

“These efforts include using a market leading threat monitoring tool and updating other controls. Since implementing these measures, we have not observed any further unauthorised activity,” the company added.

While West Texas Gas found no evidence of the compromised information being misused, the possibility of the same cannot be ruled out. It has urged all its customers to remain vigilant, regularly review their financial accounts, and report any suspicious activity to relevant law enforcement authorities.

West Texas Gas is also providing two years of complimentary credit monitoring service via Equifax Credit Watch Gold to all individuals affected by the data breach.