The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has reported a recent breach of personal data at the California Department of Justice (DOJ) involving all who applied for a concealed carry weapon permit in the county between 2011 and 2021.
The information breach constitutes a massive leak of individuals' personal information, Deputy Sgt. Brandi Swan said in a press release from the Sheriff's Department. The leak divulged the names, addresses, birthdates and other personal information required from applicants.
"The California State Sheriff’s Association (CSSA) has published a media report notifying everyone who has applied for a concealed carry weapon permit of the breach of personal data and the efforts to ensure an alarming incident like this does not happen again," Swan said in the release. "Although we did not have any control over the information released, this data leak is concerning to us and we take it very seriously."
As a result of the data breach, the Sheriff's Department is "demanding a detailed and thorough investigation" of the DOJ to determine the cause and reason behind the incident, the release said.
So far, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department has learned that the data breach originated from the DOJ's new "2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal." Originally, the portal was meant to allow the public to access a limited amount of information, but much more personal data was accessible than intended. The portal has since been deactivated.
The department is encouraging everyone who applied for a concealed carry permit between 2011 and 2021— whether the permit was granted or denied—to reach out to the DOJ at oag.ca.gov/contact.