Thousands in St. Lucie County are being warned about a computer glitch last month that could comprise their personal identity.
The St. Lucie County Criminal Justice Division says on March 9 they learned that individuals accessing court records on its website may have been able to inadvertently view confidential information (names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and court-mandated drug test results).
Visitors attempting to access the website were prompted to provide a username and password. However, the server was "misconfigured to allow access to the database" even with invalid credentials.
The county says when they discovered the issue they immediately secured the website.
Letters detailing what happened went out to the victims affected.
Even though there is no evidence to suggest the information has been used in any way, the county wants them to take precautions.
A year membership to "Experian IdentityWorks” is being offered free of charge to those interested in the service.
If victims choose not to use it, it is recommended they pull a free credit report and monitor their billing statements frequently.
George Landry, Employee Safety and Risk Manager said they "deeply regret any inconvenience this incident may cause.”
Landry also assured people the county is taking additional actions to enhance its IT systems.
People with questions are asked to call 844-620-5970.