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DNR Says Worker Improperly Accessed License Data

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Jan 15, 2013 at 12:34 pm

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says it's
notifying about 5,000 people after an employee accessed their driving and motor
vehicle records without authorization.

The agency said in a statement Tuesday that the employee is no longer employed
by the DNR. Spokesman Chris Niskanen says he can't elaborate on that.

The DNR says it has asked the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate.
No charges have been filed so far.

The DNR says its own investigation found no indication the data was sold,
disclosed to others or used for criminal purposes. But the agency is advising
the 5,000 affected people to monitor their credit reports.

DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr says his agency is looking into ways to monitor
access to private data to ensure this doesn't happen again.