CenterPoint Energy Alerts to Data Breach Following Dark Web Announcement Regarding Electric and Gas Services

CenterPoint Energy, a Texas-based utility, has reported a data breach where hackers accessed personal information of some customers. The company filed an 8-K form with the SEC, revealing that a dark web post claimed to have stolen data, impacting around 7.5 million records. While the breach did not affect service delivery, it included customer names, account details, and partial Social Security numbers. CenterPoint is working with third-party experts to assess the scope and will notify affected customers and authorities. Despite potential investigation costs, the company does not expect the incident to significantly impact its finances. In the second quarter, CenterPoint reported a net income of $244 million and serves 7 million customers across several states. This incident follows a previous investigation into a separate breach linked to a file-sharing platform.