Just a heads-up for those of you that live in Utah

[LittleWyvern]

The information of all 1.5 million registered voters in Utah have been released on a publicly available website. The information includes (among other things) each voter's full name, full address, telephone numbers, and party affiliation, and whether or not they voted during any particular election.

Here's a news article about this release. If you are concerned about identity theft, you may want to take a look at the website just so you know what information of yours is out there.

[MrShorty]

One additional observation: In limited browsing, I saw several individuals who I know have moved out of state, some several years ago, and their names are included in the list. Not sure if the risk is less because you have moved, but it might be worth suggesting that anyone who has registered in the state of Utah (whether they currently reside in Utah or not) check to see what information is available to see if you are concerned as well.

[LittleWyvern]

One additional observation: In limited browsing, I saw several individuals who I know have moved out of state, some several years ago, and their names are included in the list. Not sure if the risk is less because you have moved, but it might be worth suggesting that anyone who has registered in the state of Utah (whether they currently reside in Utah or not) check to see what information is available to see if you are concerned as well.

Well, I was about to post a "I don't know where this database comes from" disclaimer but it I figured out exactly where it comes from. The state of Utah will sell this database (i.e. all your personal details) to anybody for $1050. Seriously, you can go buy it right here (although I guess you don't need to buy it anymore).

Um... wow. Go Utah. This is "Identity Theft for Dummies" at this point.

[EarlJibbs]

There is a disclaimer on the site that says you can have your information removed from the site, but that is it. And much good that will do anyway if they are selling this information already. I am out of the state now and need to get my name off the registered list for Utah.

[Roseslipper]

this is horrible

[applepansy]

I saw it on the news last night. But when I googled my name I didn't get the website.

I regularly google myself and those I love. I want to know what is out there. There was one site that said they would remove information upon request but when I requested they ignored it.

[Just_A_Guy]

For what it's worth: These kinds of records are routinely available--Westlaw and Lexis (for lawyers, at least) both include voter registration databases from a variety of states. The only novelty with this website is that now you can access the data free of charge.

Heck, you can go to the Utah County website and have property owner names, tax valuations, IRS liens, property photos, and pretty much every legal document (deeds, trust deeds, liens, notices of interest--you name it) ever recorded for any parcel of land (including residences) in the county; all in under five minutes and all for free.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Just_A_Guy

[Sharky]

For what it's worth: These kinds of records are routinely available--Westlaw and Lexis (for lawyers, at least) both include voter registration databases from a variety of states. The only novelty with this website is that now you can access the data free of charge.

Heck, you can go to the Utah County website and have property owner names, tax valuations, IRS liens, property photos, and pretty much every legal document (deeds, trust deeds, liens, notices of interest--you name it) ever recorded for any parcel of land (including residences) in the county; all in under five minutes and all for free.

All of that information as well as voter registration rolls, are deemed to be "public" in pretty much every state. Having it on the internet is a little unnerving, but the reality is it has pretty much always been available to anyone who asked.

Some years ago in the course of a Neighborhood Watch "Operation ID" presentation the question was raised about ID theft & the risk of etching your SSN or your DL# onto your valuable property ...

Reality is, if a "bad guy" wants you SSN or DL#, they already have it, they don't need to break into your home or steal your wallet to get it.

[LittleWyvern]

For what it's worth: These kinds of records are routinely available--Westlaw and Lexis (for lawyers, at least) both include voter registration databases from a variety of states. The only novelty with this website is that now you can access the data free of charge.

Heck, you can go to the Utah County website and have property owner names, tax valuations, IRS liens, property photos, and pretty much every legal document (deeds, trust deeds, liens, notices of interest--you name it) ever recorded for any parcel of land (including residences) in the county; all in under five minutes and all for free.

Yes, but the added danger about all this information being published in a digital format (an additional "novelty" of this website) is that it makes a number of attacks that were previously unfeasible very feasible. Consider the recent snapchat attack, where phone numbers and connected email addresses were leaked. This alone isn't very dangerous, but the danger comes when multiple leaked databases are merged together. An attacker can easily merge the snapchat database with this database and have the email addresses for anybody on this site that uses snapchat. Other leaks could be merged in a similar way (what if an attacker had a list of phone numbers and associated SSNs, for instance?). This merge attack was not feasible just 15-20 years ago, and the laws on the books were probably written that long ago and thus built on assumptions that are simply not true anymore. I think Utah needs to take a look at its privacy laws and rethink them in light of current technology and attack methods.

[Sharky]

.....This merge attack was not feasible just 15-20 years ago, and the laws on the books were probably written that long ago and thus built on assumptions that are simply not true anymore. I think Utah needs to take a look at its privacy laws and rethink them in light of current technology and attack methods.

If having the data in "digital" format on the internet is your concern, then it is not just Utah that needs to rethink the privacy laws.

I can pull up actual images of documents, deed, mortgage docs, court filings, etc (including full names, address, DOB, signatures) from literally hundreds & hundreds of counties all across the nation & even from federal sites .... all "public".

So it's not an issue limited to Utah.

In most states the calls asking you to vote for or vote against something come to an abrupt stop once you vote early or your mail-in ballot is received ... how? Because the fact that you voted is public information & why waste resources calling you if you've already voted.

Personally, my information on the Utah Voter Registration stuff appears to be inaccurate. they have my current out-of-state phone # listed with a Utah area code, same with my wife's. They list our previous out-of-state address (voted by mail) with the zip code of what was then my Utah address. So anyone trying to use my information on the lists of Utah Voter Registrations would be hard pressed to get far using that information.

[carlimac]

Ok I don't currently live in Utah and haven't for 15 years. I looked up myself and the basic information is inaccurate anyway. Has me still living in my previous state and that I'm possibly related to my dad who is deceased but other people I'm only very distantly related to. Then I followed the application through to the end and it wasn't free but there was a charge ( $9.86/month) to get the whole scoop. Did I miss something along the way? Where's the free info?

I guess it's a good reason to keep your nose clean, but the identity theft thing bugs me. I about ready to take myself off facebook due to some heated discussions with my gay friend. I don't worry about him but who knows what his friends might think, knowing how opposed to gay marriage I am. (By the way, the "heat" part of the discussions came only from my friend. I was absolutely calm and civil. But still.)