Conduent data breach affects millions in multiple states

A ransomware attack on government tech giant Conduent is turning out to be much larger than initially reported. What initially seemed like a limited incident now appears to affect tens of millions of people in several states. In Texas alone, at least 15.4 million residents may have had their data exposed. Oregon has reported another 10.5 million people affected. And notices have also been sent to hundreds of thousands of people in states like Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. If you rely on state health care programs or government services, your data could be part of this breach.

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What we know about the breach so far

149 MILLION PASSWORDS EXPOSED IN MASSIVE CREDENTIALS LEAK

The cyberattack occurred in January 2025 and was later claimed by the Safeway ransomware gang, which says it stole more than 8 terabytes of data. Conduent first publicly disclosed the incident in April, months after hackers disrupted its systems and caused outages to government services across the country.

The company initially said about 4 million people in Texas were affected. That number has since grown to 15.4 million, nearly half the state’s population. Oregon’s attorney general reported that another 10.5 million residents were affected. Combined with other states issuing notices, the total could reach tens of millions.

The stolen data includes names, Social Security numbers, medical information and health insurance details. That combination is particularly dangerous because it can be used for identity theft, medical fraud and very specific scams.

Conduent processes data for large corporations, state agencies, and government healthcare programs. The company says its systems support services for more than 100 million people nationwide. However, it has not confirmed whether the breach affects that many people.

In a filing with the SEC, Conduent acknowledged that the stolen data included a “significant amount” of individuals’ personal information linked to its customers’ end users, that is, people who rely on government agencies and corporate services powered by the company.

RANSOMWARE ATTACK EXPOSES SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AT CHAIN ​​OF IMPORTANT GASOLINE STATIONS

Why this breach is especially concerning

Unlike a retail breach, where credit card data may be exposed, this incident involves deeply sensitive personal and medical information. Social Security numbers and medical records are long-term identifiers. You can’t just cancel or replace them like a debit card.

Healthcare-related data is especially valuable on the black market because it can be used to file fraudulent insurance claims, obtain prescription medications, or open financial accounts. And because Conduent works behind the scenes for state agencies, many people may not even realize that their data was stored by the company in the first place.

Conduent said it is still in the process of notifying affected people and expects to complete those notifications by early 2026. The company did not provide a clearer timeline or confirm how many total people will ultimately be alerted. Many people could take months before knowing if their information was compromised.

Conduent responds to January 2025 data breach

We reached out to Conduent for comment and a company spokesperson provided CyberGuy with the following statement:

“As previously disclosed in its April 2025 Form 8-K filing with the SEC, in January 2025, Conduent discovered that it was the victim of a cybersecurity incident. In connection with that incident, Conduent agreed to send notification letters, on behalf of its customers, to individuals whose personal information may have been affected by this incident. Working closely with our customers, we expect to send all notifications to consumers by April 15. Additionally, a dedicated call center has been established to address consumer inquiries. At this time, Conduent has no evidence of any attempted or actual misuse of any information potentially affected by this incident.

“Upon discovering the incident, Conduent acted quickly to secure its networks, restore its systems and operations, notify authorities, and conduct an investigation with the assistance of third-party forensic experts. Additionally, given the nature and complexity of the data involved, Conduent worked diligently with a dedicated review team, including internal and external experts, and performed a detailed analysis of the affected files to identify the personal information contained within them, which was a time-consuming process.

“Both Conduent and our third-party experts monitor the dark web regularly and have no evidence that personal information has been disclosed on the dark web.

“Please be assured that we have followed all the correct protocols and have assured our customers that we have secured the necessary data. Conduent has been working with the authorities and takes this matter seriously. We regret any inconvenience this incident may have caused.”

How can I check if my information was sold on the dark web?

To check if your information was sold on the dark web, you can go to haveibeenpwned.com and enter your email address in the search bar. The website will look to see what data of yours is available and show if there were any data breaches associated with your email address on various sites.

If you discover that your data is on the web, delete it with a data deletion service. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already available on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

8 Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself After a Conduent Breach

When a breach involves Social Security numbers and medical data, long-term thinking is necessary. This is what you should do.

1) Place a credit freeze

A credit freeze prevents lenders from opening new accounts in your name without your approval. It’s free and can be placed on Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This is one of the strongest protections you can put in place after an SSN exposure. You can temporarily lift it if you need to apply for credit.

2) Monitor your credit reports regularly

You are entitled to receive free credit reports from all three major bureaus. Look for unknown accounts, credit inquiries, or address changes. Early detection makes it much easier to shut down fraud before it snowballs.

3) Use a password manager

If attackers obtained personal data such as your name and email, they can attempt credential stuffing attacks against your other accounts. A password manager creates strong, unique passwords for each account, so one breach doesn’t unlock everything else. Many password managers also include breach alerts if your credentials appear in known breaches.

Also, see if your email has been exposed in previous breaches. Our number one password manager (see Cyberguy.com) includes a built-in breach scanner that checks to see if your email address or passwords have appeared in known breaches. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and protect those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com

4) First secure your email account

Your email account is the gateway to almost everything. Protect it with a strong password and two-factor authentication. Review your recovery settings and recent login activity to make sure nothing has been changed.

5) Enable two-factor authentication everywhere possible

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds another barrier, even if someone has your password. Use an authenticator app instead of SMS whenever possible for stronger protection.

6) Install powerful antivirus software

Strong antivirus software can help block malicious links, phishing attempts, and ransomware. After a major breach, scammers often target victims with follow-up attacks that purport to offer help or compensation. Security software adds another layer of protection.

Get my picks for the best antivirus protection winners of 2026 for your Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices at doyberguy.com

7) Consider identity theft protection

Identity theft services monitor your Social Security number, your financial accounts, and even dark web marketplaces. If your information is misused, they can alert you quickly and help you recover faster. When SSNs are exposed, continuous monitoring becomes especially important.

See my tips and best options on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com

8) Reduce your digital footprint with a data erasure service

Scammers often combine leaked data with personal data found on data broker sites. A data removal service works to remove your phone number, address, and other exposed information from hundreds of databases. While no service can erase everything, reducing what is publicly available makes targeted fraud much more difficult.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already available on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already available on the web: Cyberguy.com

Kurt’s Key Takeaway

The Conduent breach highlights a growing risk that many people never see coming. When large government contractors are affected, millions pu They can be affected at the same time. And because these companies operate behind the scenes, you may not even realize they contain your data. If your information has been exposed, taking action now can prevent long-term damage. The sooner you lock things down, the harder it will be for criminals to profit from your data.

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