SAN DIEGO -- Responding to increasing amounts of identity theft, the county Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to study ways to keep sensitive county records private.

"As these thieves become more sophisticated, the system must adapt to stop them and government should lead by example," Supervisor Dianne Jacob said.

Jacob, Supervisor Greg Cox and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis are spearheading the effort to "ensure that residents have the highest level of protection possible against identity theft," Jacob said.

Cox said victims "can spend countless hours and hundreds of dollars working to reclaim their financial stability in full once their identity has been stolen."

The county itself could be a target, since it collects and retains records that may include Social Security numbers or credit card numbers.

"In the wrong hands, this information can be used for fraudulent purposes," according to a statement issued by the county. "Recent security breaches at local public agencies demonstrate that government is not immune to the threat of identity theft."

County Assessor Gregory Smith, who oversees numerous records containing sensitive information, agreed for his office to be the first scrutinized for security breaches that identity thieves could exploit.

Walt Ekard, the county's chief administrative officer, was directed to come up with a risk assessment plan and report back to the board in 90 days.