California gun owners’ personal information exposed in data breach

FRESNO, Calif. — If you have a concealed carry weapon (CCW) permit in California, your personal information may have been exposed to hackers.

A new website launched by California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office meant to increase firearms transparency launched by sharing too much information.

Names, addresses, birthdates, occupations, and more personal information was linked to the website, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

This means the information of any Californian who has a concealed carry weapon permit might have been compromised for hours from Monday night through Tuesday morning, when the website was disabled.

But Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims says some people’s information was already republished on social media.
The Attorney General’s office shared this statement with Action News:

“We are investigating an exposure of individuals’ personal information connected to the DOJ Firearms Dashboard.
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.”

In the meantime, Sheriff Mims says it’s important to secure your home, since addresses were revealed, and to take the typical precautions related to a data breach.

“It’s concerning any time information that specific is released to the public. Of course what we tell the public all the time is protect your personal information,” said Mims.

Anyone who believes their personal information was stolen is asked to contact authorities immediately.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who learns their identity was compromised in this data breach to report online here.

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