MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley

The MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley, a healthcare entity based in Bryan, Texas, experienced a significant data breach that was first detected on November 5, 2022. The breach was discovered on May 30, 2023, and affected a total of 83,245 individuals, including 8 residents of Maine[2]. The breach involved unauthorized access to the organization’s computer network, leading to the exposure of sensitive personal and health information. The compromised data included names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account information, usernames and access information, medical record numbers, medical treatment information, and health insurance information[3].

In response to the breach, MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley took immediate steps to secure its systems and engaged independent digital forensics and incident response experts to investigate the incident and identify the information that may have been accessed or acquired without authorization[6]. The organization also worked to obtain and compile missing address information to notify those potentially affected by the breach[6].

Notices of the data security incident were sent out on July 28, 2023, to potentially impacted individuals, providing information about the incident and steps they can take to protect their information[6]. Additionally, MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley offered identity theft protection services, including 12 months of credit and dark web monitoring and a $1 million identity protection insurance policy, to those affected[2].

The breach was reported to the Attorney General of Maine, and MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley has implemented additional security measures to enhance the security of its digital environment and minimize the likelihood of a similar event occurring in the future[4][6]. MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley is a mental health services provider serving residents of several counties in Texas and employs more than 38 people, generating approximately $15 million in annual revenue[4].

This incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the need for organizations to promptly respond to and notify affected individuals of data breaches to mitigate potential harm.

Citations:

1. https://www.kbtx.com/2023/08/02/mhmr-brazos-valley-investigates-security-incident-involving-personal-information/
2. https://apps.web.maine.gov/online/aeviewer/ME/40/c0f635df-e240-41f1-b726-ca1e7ab42afa.shtml
3. https://healthitsecurity.com/news/vendor-data-breach-impacts-1.7m-oregon-health-plan-members
4. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/mhmr-authority-of-brazos-valley-files-3790509/
5. https://openclassactions.com/investigations/mhmr-authority-of-brazos-valley-data-breach.php
6. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mhmr-authority-of-brazos-valley-provides-notice-of-data-security-incident-301888472.html
7. https://www.databreaches.net/mhmr-authority-of-brazos-valley-provides-notice-of-ransomware-attack-last-november/
8. https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/mhmr-authority-of-brazos-valley-data-breach-investigation/
9. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vByEHPka50E
10. https://joinclassactions.com/class_actions/mhmr-authority-of-brazos-valley-data-breach/
11. https://www.gs-legal.com/blog/2023/08/mhmr-authority-of-brazos-valley-tx-data-breach-investigation/