DNR asks thousands to watch credit reports after employee inapproprately accessed driver records

The DNR is "implementing additional employee training" in hopes the data breach never happens again.

Anne Marie Rasmusson will get more than $1 million after public officials inappropriately accessed her Driver and Vehicle Services database information hundreds of times over a number of years.

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But all the roughly 5,000 Minnesotans who recently had that same information accessed by a rogue DNR employee are getting is an admonishment to watch their credit reports.

Today, the DNR announced its fired an employee who perused personal information in the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services database "without authorization to do so."

"The DVS records that were viewed include information such as full name, date of birth, driver's license number, address, driver's license status and driver's license photo," the DNR's press release says, adding that no criminal charges have yet been filed in connection with the data breach.

More from the press release:

The investigation did not indicate that the viewed data was sold, disclosed to others, or used for criminal purposes. However, the DNR is sending notification letters to approximately 5,000 affected individuals to make them aware of the unauthorized access. The agency is also recommending that those individuals monitor their credit reports.

Rasmusson's data (including her license photo) was presumably a hot item because she's hot. But what was the now-former DNR employee trying to accomplish in accessing 5,000 Minnesotans' information? If you get a letter in the mail, watch your bank and credit card statements, and hopefully you'll never find out.