California DMV

California DMV Data Breach Allowed Social Security Information of Thousands to Be Improperly Accessed

The DMV, already besieged by other issues, says that 3,200 license holders had their data improperly exposed to federal agencies, including immigration authorities.

Facing problems ranging from long wait times to staffing and management issues, the California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday that it has also suffered a “data breach” that allowed federal agencies to improperly access Social Security information of 3,200 people in the state.

Immigration authorities were among the agencies who had access to the Social Security information, including if a person issued a license did not have a Social Security number, The Los Angeles Times reported. The information was disclosed through the Government Requested Code Account Program, which allows those agencies to access DMV information but only “for limited purposes under state and federal law,” according to CNN.

Seven agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and district attorneys in San Diego and Santa Clara Counties, accessed the information over the past four years.

After discovering the “breach” on Aug. 2, the DMV cut off access to the information. No hacking was involved, and private individuals were not given access to Social Security information, according to the DMV’s spokeswoman Anita Gore.

“Protection of personal information is important to DMV, and we have taken additional steps to correct this error, protect this information and reaffirm our serious commitment to protect the privacy rights of all license holders,” Gore told the Times. “That’s why DMV immediately began correcting the access error following a legal compliance review, ensured that no additional confidential information was disclosed to these entities, and has implemented several additional layers of review.”

The situation is further complicated by the fact that beginning in 2013, the DMV has issued driver licenses to people in the U.S. illegally who can provide proof of identity and California residency, according to the Times. At the time, government officials said that the information of license holders in the country illegally would not be shared with federal immigration authorities.

The DMV said that 83 of the license holders who had information accessed by federal agencies did not have proof of legal presence in the United States. Other Californians had their information accessed as part of tax and child support investigations.

In total, the San Diego and Santa Clary district attorney offices were responsible for improperly accessing the data of about 3,000 license holders. All people affected by the breach have been notified by the DMV.

Tim Erlin, the VP of product management and strategy at cybersecurity firm Tripwire, said that many breaches are not the result of malicious attacks, but a “consequence of misconfigurations.”

“In these cases, there’s no stereotypical ‘bad guy’ to arrest, but often a group of well-meaning, but overworked and under-skilled staff that either couldn’t keep up or just didn’t know any better,” Erlin said. “Finding and addressing misconfigurations can be automated, but you have to start with an understanding of how the systems should be configured in order to measure how they differ from that desired state.”

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.