City Clerk's office notifies 50 of a security breach - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

MADISON (WKOW) -- The Madison City Clerk's office is notifying dozens of individuals about a security breach in which Social Security numbers and dates of birth were available on the Internet.

A city employee discovered a Social Security number in a liquor license application packet posted online December 19, through the city's Legislative Information Center.

The city immediately shut down the center while the Clerk's Office searched every license application, as well as attachments for personal identifiable information.  All offending documents were removed from the system that same day.

Seventeen problematic liquor license application packets were found, of which eight contained spreadsheets with the corporation volunteering names of corporate officers, titles, addresses, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth.  Nine other packets contained an old state form asking for a date of birth and Social Security number.

None of these individuals has filed a report of suspected identity theft with the Madison Police Department.

The liquor license application form has since been revised, to discourage applicants from volunteering extraneous and personally identifiable information.  Only the city's liquor license application form and the floor plans for an establishment will now be scanned and attached in the city's Legislative Information Center.

The only time the Clerk's Office would request a Social Security number is when hiring an employee.

Individuals are encouraged to monitor their credit reports and report any acts of suspected identity theft to the police.