The names, addresses and license types of all California concealed carry permit holders have been revealed after the state Department of Justice suffered a data breach, authorities said Tuesday.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office learned of the violation from the California State Sherriff’s Association on Tuesday, according to a statement.
The breach occurred as part of the DOJ’s launch of its “Gun Dashboard Portal 2022,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement.
“This public site provides access to certain information, however, the personal information of concealed carry permit (CCW) holders is not meant to be visible,” the agency said.
Personal information included, but was not limited to, a person’s name, age, address, criminal identification number and license type, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This applies to all California CCW holders, including residents of Fresno County,” the agency added.
The state’s DOJ removed the site from the Dashboard along with all related links after learning of the violation, the sheriff’s office said.
However, officials warned that “portions of private information may have been posted on social media websites.” The sheriff’s office said it was unclear how long the information was accessible.
The California attorney general’s office said it was investigating the exposure.
“Any unauthorized disclosure of personal information is unacceptable,” he said, adding that he was “working quickly to remedy the situation” and would provide more information as soon as possible.
The sheriff’s office said the attorney general’s office plans to contact licensees directly to notify them after the violation. The agency added that there are plans to put in place a program to reduce any harm or damage to licensees resulting from the breach.
The sheriff’s office has urged anyone who learns their identity has been compromised to file a report online.
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