About Mower County
Mower County, a government entity in Austin, Minnesota, experienced a significant data breach affecting 27,064 individuals. The breach, caused by an external system hacking, resulted in unauthorized access to sensitive information. The incident was discovered on November 10, 2025, several months after the initial breach period which occurred between June 11 and June 18, 2025. Mower County has since taken measures to address the breach and protect affected individuals.
What Happened
On June 18, 2025, the County detected ransomware on our computer network. We immediately launched an investigation with assistance from nationally recognized cybersecurity and data forensics consultants to secure our network and investigate the scope of the incident. We also alerted federal law enforcement. Through the investigation, we determined that there was unauthorized access to our network between June 11, 2025 and June 18, 2025, and during that time the cyber criminals took County data. Once we learned this, we conducted a thorough review of the impacted data to determine: (1) what information was involved; and (2) who may have been affected. On November 10,2025, we completed our review and determined that your information was impacted by this incident.
The breach affected the personal information of individuals whose data was stored on Mower County’s network. The County discovered the breach on November 10, 2025, and it primarily impacted data held during the unauthorized access period from June 11 to June 18, 2025.
Next Steps
Individuals affected by the breach are encouraged to enroll in complimentary identity monitoring services provided by Experian. This membership includes identity monitoring, a credit report at signup, and identity restoration services. Affected individuals should remain vigilant by regularly reviewing their account statements and credit reports for any unauthorized activity. Additionally, any incidents of suspected identity theft should be reported to local law enforcement and the major credit bureaus.
Identity Theft Protection Services
Mower County is offering complimentary identity theft protection services to those affected by the breach. This includes a 12-month membership with Experian, providing credit monitoring and identity restoration support. Affected individuals will receive up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage, and Experian IdentityWorks ExtendCARE offers continuous identity restoration support even after the membership expires. Instructions for enrolling in these services are provided in the notification letter sent to impacted individuals.