Department of Human Services Data Breach Results in Legislative Warning

Another data breach at the Department of Human Services prompted Senate Human Services chair Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, to warn state administration officials that future IT funding will be withheld until a plan is implemented that ensures the security of the agency’s systems and programs. Benson spoke about her concerns at a State Capitol press conference Wednesday, April 10.

According to Benson, the three incidences in the last year, in addition to other technology-related problems dating back to 2013, raise concerns among key lawmakers as to the agency’s ability to handle their current workload, let alone proposals like Governor Walz’s OneCare that would expand the offerings of the department. After listing a series of unanswered questions, Benson called on DHS Commissioner Tony Lourey to “provide a full accounting… to show the public what he’s doing to mitigate these problems going forward.”