In April, the governor announced that a server at the DTS was breached and personal information on around 780,000 Medicaid recipients, including social security numbers of around 280,000 Utah citizens.
After launching a comprehensive audit of the state’s technology security and data storage procedures, Herbert asked for the resignation of DTS Director Stephen Fletcher and appointed Mark VanOrden as the department’s acting director, the governor said in a statement.
The governor also hired a health data security ombudsman, Sheila Walsh-McDonald, to oversee individual case management, credit counseling, and public outrich for the data breach victims.
"The people of Utah rightly believe that their government will protect them, their families and their personal data. As a state government, we failed to honor that commitment. For that, as your governor and as a Utahn, I am deeply sorry", Herbert said.
The governor said at news conference that one of his family members was among those whose information was compromised, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
"The state of Utah must restore the trust placed in it. Cyber-security is the modern battlefront, and we are all enlisted – you, me, our state agencies, the legislature – all of us have a critical role to play", the governor said.