Potential victims of license data breach to be notified, state says

Information is to be mailed as soon as possible to an estimated 1.5 million people who created customer profiles in the state license system before July 2006.

OLYMPIA — Buyers of state hunting and fishing licenses whose personal information might have been compromised by a data breach will be notified and will receive identity protection services, officials of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.

Active Network, the department’s online hunting and fishing license sales vendor, has agreed to mail information as soon as possible to an estimated 1.5 million people who created customer profiles in the license system before July 2006, said Peter Vernie, licensing division manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, on Friday.

Personal information for approximately 2.4 million license buyers might have been compromised in the breach, but fewer people than that will be notified, he said.

For example, some former customers have died while others’ profiles do not include enough information to enable the vendor to contact them, he said.

Vernie said Active Network also has agreed to provide a customer call center and identity protection services to those whose data was potentially compromised. Details of those services will be provided in the notification letters, according to Active.

About two weeks ago, fish and wildlife agencies in Washington, Idaho and Oregon received messages from a person who claimed to have accessed customer data in the three states’ systems, which are all operated by Active Network.

Investigation confirmed that Washington’s system vulnerability had been exploited to access personal information provided by customers who bought licenses before mid-2006.

Information added to those accounts since then is also vulnerable, investigators reported.

Vulnerable information for Washington customers includes names, addresses, dates of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. Some customers’ driver’s license numbers also were accessed, but there is no indication that credit card or other financial data was exposed, state officials said.

At this time, investigators do not believe personal data is at risk for customers who made their first license purchase after June 2006. About 60 percent of the 6.6 million license customers fall into this category, the state said.

Active Network told the state that within 15 hours of learning of the breach, the vendor conducted a security sweep of the system and released an update to address the threat. The company said it also arranged for a review by an independent cybersecurity firm.

The state halted online license sales Aug. 22 and suspended all license transactions the following day and restored sales through its network of about 600 retail vendors Aug. 27. Telephone sales were resumed last Monday.

The investigation into the data breach is ongoing, and online license sales remain suspended.

For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/wild_system/.

More in News

Peninsula Behavioral Health head discusses the fallout from federal bill

Anticipated cuts to Medicaid could devastate rural communities like Clallam County, leading… Continue reading

Matthew P. Deines, Outgoing President/CEO, First Fed
First Fed CEO resigns

Bank begins search for replacement

PAHS class of 1975 reunion planned

The Port Angeles High School Class of 1975 is… Continue reading

Lower Elwha Klallm Tribal Chairwoman Frances Charles, left, speaks about the Paddle to Elwha 2025 canoe journey as Carmen Watson-Charles, the tribe’s cultural manager, holds an informational pamphlet during a presentation to the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Thousands expected for canoe journey this month

Tribe anticipates speeches, songs and traditional dance

Glass recycling returns to Jeffco

Port Townsend, Quilcene locations available

Port of Port Townsend OKs update to its strategic plan

Commissioners discuss economic development

Reservoir project to start this weekend

Lower water pressure expected through Aug. 1

Forks institutes voluntary water conservation measures

The city of Forks is requesting residents to follow voluntary… Continue reading

Resurfacing project begins on Priest Road

Work crews contracted by the city of Sequim have begun… Continue reading

Mandy Miller of Port Angeles and other members of her family spent some time over the Fourth of July weekend picking eight pounds of strawberries at the Graysmarsh Farms north of Sequim. Raspberries will soon though reach their peak picking season, and both are available at Graysmarsh. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Berry picking

Mandy Miller of Port Angeles and other members of her family spent… Continue reading

Peninsula counties awarded $5M in grants

Funding to cover easements, equipment

Port of Port Angeles to forge ahead with terminal upgrade plans

Design phase would help envision future opportunities