By Robin Sidel and Jim Carlton
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is investigating a
potential breach of its credit card processing systems, in what may
be the latest in a string of attacks that have highlighted
vulnerabilities in the way payment data is handled.
Earlier attacks struck retailers like discounter Target Corp.
and luxury chain Neiman Marcus Group. This one stands out, because
it was a government agency that may have been the victim.
"The Department of Motor Vehicles has been alerted by law
enforcement authorities to a potential security issue within its
credit card processing services," spokesman Armando Botello
said.
A spokesman for MasterCard Inc. said the card network has issued
an alert to banks that issue credit cards about the potential
breach.
Representatives of the credit-card industry and the motor
vehicle agency were discussing the situation on a conference call
Saturday evening, a person familiar with the matter said.
It wasn't immediately clear how extensive any breach may have
been or how many cards may have been compromised.
The California DMV had licensed 24 million drivers and
registered nearly 32 million vehicles as of the beginning of 2013,
according to its website.
The DMV said it is investigating the potential breach and
working with state and federal law enforcement, its credit card
processor, and card companies themselves. It is also performing a
forensic review of its computer systems. There is no evidence yet
that the DMV's computer system was breached, Mr. Botello said.
Write to Robin Sidel at robin.sidel@wsj.com and Jim Carlton at
jim.carlton@wsj.com
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