One of the jobs of the Texas Department of Insurance is to handle workers' compensation claims. And along with that comes the responsibility to keep applicants personal data safe and secure.
Well, the agency handled the clams, at least.
Last week the TDI started sending out letters about a computer security glitch that left vulnerable personal information -- name, address, phone number, date of birth, all or part of Social Security numbers and medical data, for example -- of almost 2 million Texans who filed for workers' compensation between March 2019 and January of this year.
That's when the agency got wind of the problem. But it's just now letting the public know.
TDI is offering 12 months of credit monitoring and identity protection to anyone who might have been affected. You can find out more at 855-248-7100. The help line is open from 7 a.m to 8 p.m. weekdays.
You can also go to www.tdi.texas.gov/data-security-event.
The agency says it's working with a web forensics company and so far has found no evidence any personal information has been misused. That's good news, at least. Let's hope it stays that way.