On October 9, 2023, West Texas Gas (“WTG”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after discovering that an unauthorized party gained access to WTG systems, copied certain files, and deleted other files. In this notice, WTG explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, Social Security numbers and other personal information. Upon completing its investigation, WTG began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from West Texas Gas, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft as well as discuss your legal options following the West Texas Gas data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the West Texas Gas Breach?
The West Texas Gas data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, WTG’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, in May 2023, WTG detected suspicious activity within its computer system. In response, WTG launched an investigation into the incident to determine whether the unusual activity was due to unauthorized activity.
The West Texas Gas investigation revealed that an unauthorized party was able to access its systems, copy certain files, and delete other files. It was also determined that some of the files that were accessible contained confidential consumer information.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, West Texas Gas reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. WTG completed this process on September 13, 2023. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number and other personal information.
On October 9, 2023, West Texas Gas sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About West Texas Gas
Founded in 1976, West Texas Gas is an oil & gas company located in Midland, Texas. WTG’s core businesses are in natural gas distribution, natural gas transmission, gas gathering & processing, and natural gas liquids transmission. West Texas Gas owns approximately 1,808 miles of Natural Gas Transmission pipelines within Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. West Texas Gas employs more than 1,637 people and generates approximately $358 million in annual revenue.
