Idaho Fish & Game warns customers after news that data breach compromised personal info
Idaho Fish & Game is warning people who purchased hunting or fishing licenses or tags before 2008 that their personal information may have been compromised in a data breach. The warning came after Fish & Game officials held a conference call with their vendor, Texas-based Active Network, this afternoon. “They said it’s potential,” said Idaho Fish and Game spokesman Mike Keckler. “And if it’s potential, we felt like we have to let our sportsmen know about this. It doesn’t mean that personal information was accessed, we don’t know that.”
The reason that only those who began purchasing licenses and tags before 2008 are affected is because of an update Active Network made to its system in that year, which changed how individuals were identified within the system. However, the update only applied to new customers, not those already in the system. “Those who made their first license purchase after 2008 are not at risk,” Fish and Game said in a news release this evening.
Active Network has had the Idaho state contract since 2007; the state is currently working on a request for proposals for a new vendor starting in 2018.
“This is a serious matter and we encourage all license holders who may potentially be affected to take proactive steps to protect themselves,” Fish and Game Deputy Director Ed Schriever said. “We apologize to our license buyers and will continue to work with Active Network to get to the bottom of this.”
The data breach apparently occurred sometime over the summer, Fish & Game said. Personal information that could have been accessed includes name, age, address, and Social Security number of license or tag buyers. State law requires Fish & Game to collect that information in order to issue a license. No credit card information was compromised.
Fish and Game shut down its online license and tag sales, which account for about 20 percent of its sales, on Wednesday because of the breach; Idahoans still can purchase licenses and tags in person at 400 offices or stores around the state.
People who bought licenses or tags before 2008 are being advised to monitor their financial accounts and credit history for any suspicious activity, and if they see anything, report it to the police. There’s more info here.