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WA

Washington State Food Worker Card

High

In 2023, a 2018 data breach of the Washington State Food Worker Card exposed 1.6M users' sensitive information.

Records exposed
1,594,305 records
Breach date
Breach Nov 17, 2022
Last update
Updated Mar 31, 2024

What data was exposed?

Fields reported as compromised in this breach record.

Dates of birthDriver's licensesEmail addressesGeographic locationsNames

Why does this breach matter?

In-depth analysis of the breach and its implications.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department identified a data breach in June 2023 affecting the Washington State Food Worker Card online training system. The breach, tied to a 2018 database backup and publicly exposed in 2022 on a hacking forum, compromised sensitive data including 1.6 million email addresses, names, postal codes, dates of birth, and a subset of driver's license numbers. This incident underscores the critical need for vigilant data security measures.

Impact Analysis

Understanding the scope and consequences of this breach.

User Impact
Compromise of personal identifying information, raising identity theft risks.
Business Impact
Reputational damage, potential regulatory scrutiny, and user trust impact.
Affected Sectors
  • Public Health and Safety
Geographic Impact
  • State of Washington, USA

What You Should Do

Recommended actions to take in response to this breach.

If You Were Affected

  • Monitor financial accounts for unauthorized transactions.
  • Consider placing a credit freeze for additional security.
  • Update passwords for related online services.

Preventive Measures

  • Ensure secure storage and encryption of sensitive data backups.
  • Regularly audit data storage and identify redundancies.
  • Strengthen security protocols for backup handling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this breach and what it means for you.

Use the email search provided by 'HaveIBeenPwned' to identify impacted accounts.