303,965 Americans at Risk After Hackers Hit US State Agency, Access Massive Trove of Records

A massive health services data breach has placed the personal information of 303,965 Americans at risk.

The breach, classified as an Unauthorized Access/Disclosure event affecting a state agency’s network server, hit the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) on January 16th.

The compromised data stems from the MnChoices system, a statewide platform used for demographic assessments and long-term care planning, according to reporting tied to the DHS notification.

Unauthorized access was identified in November 2025, and access was eventually revoked, but not before demographic records for nearly 304,000 residents were accessed. For a smaller subset of individuals – approximately 1,200 cases – additional sensitive information including some medical details and partial Social Security numbers may have been viewed.

The breach was traced to improper access by a user linked to a licensed health care provider, and while the full scope is still being determined, the forensic investigation could not specify exactly which records were accessed on an individual basis.

Officials confirmed that access ceased on September 21, 2025, and subsequent measures have been implemented to restrict the user’s account and bolster safeguards against future unauthorized access.

Although no confirmed misuse of the compromised data has yet been identified, Minnesota DHS has advised affected individuals to remain vigilant for identity theft and fraud, and to review any healthcare or financial statements for suspicious activity. The incident comes amid a broader trend of large health and human services data breaches across the United States, where millions of records have been exposed because of hacks, unauthorized access and IT failures.

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