Help available for those impacted by the CCW data breach
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is sending out a letter to all those who might have been impacted by the security breach that involved personal information of Concealed and Carry Weapons (CCW) permit holders. The breach that occurred June 27 was announced June 29.
The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office released a statement today, July 11, reiterating that it’s “incensed about this data breach and remain concerned for the safety and security of CCW holders past and present.” The statement encourages all who receive the letter regarding the breach to take the recommended steps to safeguard personal information. The statement included a copy of the letter that is being sent.
According to the letter, the data breach primarily relates to individuals who were denied or granted a CCW permit between 2011 and 2021, and whose data was disclosed in connection to an update to the state’s firearms dashboard portal. Bonta states, “While we are not aware of any actual or attempted misuse of your information, we are providing you with an overview of the incident, ongoing response, and resources available to you right now to help protect your identity, should you feel it appropriate to do so.”
The list of exposed data is lengthy, and thus far is confirmed to include: full name, date of birth, address, gender, race, CCW license number, California Information Index number (which is automatically generated during a fingerprint check for a CCW or for another purpose), and other government-issued identifiers. Additionally, in some cases, the exposed information may include a driver’s license number, and internal codes corresponding to the statutory reason that a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The letter emphasized that Social Security numbers and financial information were NOT disclosed.
An investigation into the breach is ongoing and the firearms dashboard has been closed.
According to the letter, “As an added precaution and to provide direct assistance to those impacted, we have established a call center to address any questions you may have. We are also offering complimentary access to credit monitoring services through IDX, which includes: 12 months of triple-bureau credit monitoring, CyberScan dark web monitoring, a $1 million insurance reimbursement policy and fully managed ID theft recovery services.”
To contact IDX call 833-909-4419 or go to https://response.idx.us/dojca and use the enrollment codes at the top of the letter sent to the individual.
Individuals are also encouraged to monitor their credit and consider placing a free credit freeze on their credit report.
Those with questions can call the attorney general’s office at 833-909-4419 or go to the DOJ web page at www.oag.ca.gov/DataExposure.
