Hunters and anglers can once again purchase their tags and licenses online, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced on Tuesday.
Fish and Game officials took down its online system in August due to a computer breach experienced by the agency’s online vendor, Active Network. After the breach, the vendor notified Fish and Game that some of its license holders may have had their personal information compromised.
Due to the breach, Fish and Game said it has created additional security features, including requiring online buyers to create an account with a password to gain access to the system.
“We realize adding user identification requires a little more effort to log on, and it’s another password to remember, but we think the trade-off of having another layer of protection for our hunters’ and anglers’ personal information is worth it,” said Michael Pearson, Fish and Game’s chief of administration, in a written statement.
Shortly after the breach occurred, the Dallas-based Active Network mailed notices to license holders with instructions on how to check for identity theft. The company, whose management software is used by thousands of event organizers across the country, said the threat was isolated to fishing and licensing systems in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Active Network said the breach might have compromised millions of records, including Social Security numbers. In September, the company said the breach could have affected Idaho residents and non-residents who started buying hunting and fishing licenses before 2008. Fish and Game said at the same time that those who made their first license purchase after 2008 were not at risk.
However, Fish and Game spokesman Mike Keckler told the Associated Press that it’s still not clear if any personal information was actually stolen. The FBI is continuing to investigate.
Oregon and Washington have also resumed online sales of its hunting and fishing licenses. During the three-month shutdown in Idaho, hunters and anglers were still able to purchase licenses and tags at Fish and Game offices and approximately 400 businesses across the state.
Before the breach, Fish and Game had already started the process of seeking bids for a contract to run online sales, according to the Associated Press. The agency’s current contract with Active Network ends in February.
Keckler said the bids will be examined for beefed-up security measures.
“It’s not behind us,” Keckler told the Associated Press. “We are still learning from what happened. We’re doing everything we can to make sure nothing happens now or with the next contract.”
