Notifications to be sent following fishing, hunting license data breach

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Notices that personal information might have been compromised are being sent to hunting and fishing license holders in Washington, Idaho and Oregon following the breach of a vendor's computer system.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said buyers of hunting and fishing licenses whose personal information may have been compromised by a recent data breach will be notified, as well as receive identity protection services.

ACTIVE NETWORK, the department's online hunting and fishing sales vendor, has agreed to mail information as soon as possible to an estimated 1.5 million WDFW customers who created “customer profiles” in the license system before July 2006, said Peter Vernie, WDFW Licensing Division manager.

Personal information for approximately 2.4 million license buyers may have been compromised in the breach, but fewer people will be notified, WDFW officials said.

Vulnerable information for Washington customers includes names, addresses, dates of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers, officials said.

Some customers’ driver’s license numbers also were accessed, but there is no indication that credit card or other financial data was exposed.

In all three states, hunting and fishing licenses can still be purchased at state wildlife offices or at businesses that sell the licenses.