On Tuesday, the California State Sheriff’s Association (CSSA) informed our office that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) had suffered a data breach.

This occurred as part of the DOJ’s launch of its “2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal.” This public site allows access to certain information, however, personal information of Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit holders is not supposed to be visible. This includes, but is not limited to a person’s name, age, address, Criminal Identification Index (CII) number and license type (Standard, Judicial, Reserve and Custodial). This pertains to all California CCW holders, including Fresno County residents.

After learning of the breach, the DOJ pulled down the dashboard site along with all related links. However, portions of private information may have been posted on social media websites. It is unknown exactly how much time the information was accessible.

The State Attorney General’s Office has stated it is working with urgency to determine the scope of the breach. It plans to contact CCW holders directly to advise them of the breach and will institute a program to reduce any harm or damages to CCW holders that resulted from the breach.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is urging any local residents who learn their identity was compromised as a result of this data breach to please make an online report by visiting https://www.fresnosheriff.org/report-a-crime-online.html

CA DOJ's Response

Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Contact: (916) 210-6000, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Justice has announced that personal information was disclosed in connection with the June 27, 2022 update of its Firearms Dashboard Portal. Based on the Department’s current investigation, the incident exposed the personal information of individuals who were granted or denied a concealed and carry weapons (CCW) permit between 2011-2021. Information exposed included names, date of birth, gender, race, driver’s license number, addresses, and criminal history. Social Security numbers or any financial information were not disclosed as a result of this event. Additionally, data from the following dashboards were also impacted: Assault Weapon Registry, Handguns Certified for Sale, Dealer Record of Sale, Firearm Certificate Safety, and Gun Violence Restraining Order dashboards. DOJ is investigating the extent to which any personally identifiable information could have been exposed from those dashboards and will report additional information as soon as confirmed.


“This unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable and falls far short of my expectations for this department,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “I immediately launched an investigation into how this occurred at the California Department of Justice and will take strong corrective measures where necessary. The California Department of Justice is entrusted to protect Californians and their data. We acknowledge the stress this may cause those individuals whose information was exposed. I am deeply disturbed and angered.”
On the afternoon of June 27, 2022, DOJ posted updates to the Firearms Dashboard Portal. DOJ was made aware of a disclosure of personal information that was accessible in a spreadsheet on the portal. After DOJ learned of the data exposure, the department took steps to remove the information from public view and shut down the Firearms Dashboard yesterday morning. The dashboard and data were available for less than 24 hours.


In the coming days, the Department will notify those individuals whose data was exposed and provide additional information and resources. California law requires a business or state agency to notify any California resident whose unencrypted personal information, as defined, was acquired, or reasonably believed to have been acquired, by an unauthorized person.
DOJ asks that anyone who accessed such information respect the privacy of the individuals involved and not share or disseminate any of the personal information. In addition, possession of or use of personal identifying information for an unlawful purpose may be a crime. (See Cal Penal Code Sec. 530.5.)


We are communicating with law enforcement partners throughout the state. In collaboration, we will provide support to those whose information has been exposed.
In an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice will provide credit monitoring services for individuals whose data was exposed as a result of this incident. DOJ will directly contact individuals who have been impacted by this incident and will provide instructions to sign up for this service.


Any Californian may take the following steps to immediately protect their information related to credit:


• Monitor your credit. One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft is to monitor your credit history. To obtain free copies of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com


• Consider placing a free credit freeze on your credit report. Identity thieves will not be able to open a new credit account in your name while the freeze is in place. You can place a credit freeze by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus:


o Equifax: https://www.equifax.com/.../credit-report.../credit-freeze/; 888-766-0008
o Experian: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html; 888-397-3742
o TransUnion: https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze; 800-680-7289


• Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert helps protect you against the possibility of someone opening new credit accounts in your name. A fraud alert lasts 90 days and can be renewed. To post a fraud alert on your credit file, you must contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies listed above. Keep in mind that if place a fraud alert with any one of the three major credit reporting agencies, the alert will be automatically added by the other two agencies as well.


• Additional Resources. If you are a victim of identity theft, contact your local police department or sheriff’s office right away. You may also report identity theft and generate a recovery plan using the Federal Trade Commission’s website at identitytheft.gov. For more information and resources visit the Attorney General’s website at oag.ca.gov/idtheft


Link to article: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-department-justice-alerts-individuals-impacted-exposure-personal

 


Contact Information

Tony Botti
Public Information Officer
(559) 600-8137
Tony.Botti@fresnosheriff.org