Monday, September 22, 2025

 

Friends & Neighbors,

 

Today, I filed a formal Open Records Request under the Texas Public Information Act seeking all cybersecurity audits, breach reports, and vendor contracts from the Bexar County Clerk’s office since 2019.  The Bexar County Clerk’s Office, led by the current County Clerk, Lucy Adame-Clark, is responsible for safekeeping of your marriage licenses, business filings, property deeds and Veterans’ records.

 

The request comes after repeated failures, including the 2020 exposure of Social Security numbers, a 2022 exposure of additional Social Security numbers that remained online even after promised fixes, and the 2024 $30 Million Odyssey system collapse, raised concerns about whether the Clerk’s office is doing enough to protect sensitive records. You have a right to know if safeguards exist, or if your most personal information remains at risk.

 

That is why I’m asking for transparency. The open records request seeks:

• Any cybersecurity audits or risk assessments since 2019.

• Incident reports created by the County Clerk from the 2020 data exposure, 2022 Texas Standard report, and the Odyssey failure.

• Proof of citizen notifications, including how many residents were contacted and whether credit monitoring was offered.

• Vendor contracts to determine whether taxpayer dollars were spent on effective cybersecurity protections.

• Policies, SOPs, and staff training implemented after these breaches.

• Budget records, including any emergency allocations tied to cyber failures.

• Communications with Bexar County IT, Texas DIR, the Attorney General, and federal agencies to ensure proper coordination and reporting.

 

Despite being notified of thousands of exposed Social Security numbers in 2020, more were still online in 2022. That means the same mistakes were repeated, and taxpayer money may have gone to ineffective solutions. We deserve to know what protections, if any, were put in place, and whether our data is still vulnerable.

 

Transparency and accountability are step one. Leadership to enforce real cybersecurity protection and make sure data failures do not continue is step two.

 

For the last 20 years, I’ve managed and led teams whose mission was to protect everything from national defense systems to government and personal data around the world. As a former Military Intelligence Officer, I hold a Top Secret Security Clearance and various cybersecurity certifications. My work has focused on identifying vulnerabilities, preventing cyberattacks, and ensuring compliance with strict federal and financial regulations.

 

In today’s world of evolving technology and AI, government offices must treat cybersecurity as a top priority. As your next Bexar County Clerk, I am committed to safeguarding your highly personal data and consider it my duty to protect the personal information of every resident of Bexar County.

 

In Solidarity,