FISHING/HUNTING -- The recent breach of online hunting-fishing license sales appears to have exposed personal information for more than 2 million Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife customers, officials said today.

And Idaho Fish and Game revealed today that personal information for license buyers who began purchasing hunting and fishing licenses and tags prior to 2008 was potentially accessed by a breach. Those who made their first license purchase after 2008 are not at risk.

The license sales system for several state agencies is owned and operated by Active Network, a Texas-based company.

Credit card information is not kept in the Active Network licensing system and Idaho Fish and Game officials say they are confident it was not accessed.

However, the compromised vendor data base for Washington license-buyers included some personal information, including names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, said Bruce Botka, WDFW spokesman in Olympia.

Jim Camden of The Spokesman-Review's Olympia Bureau filed this update on the situation.

Idaho says its customers affected may have had their entire social security numbers exposed.  "Idaho Fish and Game is required by state law to obtain this information to issue a license," the agency said.

“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.”

Washington shut down its sales of hunting and fishing licenses until the situation is resolved, but offered license-free fishing through Tuesday, Aug. 30, to avoid impacting fishermen and especially guided trips that are booked in salmon fishing areas.

Idaho is still allowing license sales at about 400 businesses statewide and also at Fish and Game offices. The computer terminals used to sell licenses and tags at businesses and Fish and Game offices are separate from the online system, the agency says.

Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department originally said on Thursday they did not think their licensing system was compromised, but then suddenly changed positions and shut down their online licensing system late Thursday with a terse notice on the agency website.

Sketchy information about the possible culprit in the cyber attack is being followed in Oregon by the Statesman Journal.