California residents with a permit to carry a concealed weapon were subject to a data breach on Tuesday, according to authorities.
As a result of the data leak at the California Department of Justice (DOJ), all California concealed carry permit holders’ names, residences, and license types were reportedly made public.
The breach happened during the DOJ’s launch of its “2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal.” The DOJ was notified of the information leak by the California State Sheriff’s Association (CSSA).
“This public site allows access to certain information; however, personal information of Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit holders is not supposed to be visible,” said the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. “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).”
After becoming aware of the issue, the DOJ removed the dashboard webpage and any associated links. However, it is possible that some private information was posted on social media platforms. It is unclear how long the confidential information was visible on the site before it was discovered by authorities.
The State Attorney General’s Office is investigating how the breach occurred and will contact concealed carry weapon owners to inform them of the breach.
The agency has promised to put a program in place to mitigate any loss or damages suffered by CCW owners as a result of the incident. The details of the program are unknown at this time.
“We are investigating an exposure of individuals’ personal information connected to the DOJ Firearms Dashboard,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office. “Any unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable. We are working swiftly to address this situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible.”
Residents who discover their identity has been exposed due to this data breach are urged to report it on the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office website.
