Celebrity Passport Records Popular

Investigators developed the roster of high-profile people using names most frequently searched on Google in 2006 and 2007, supplemented by lists such as the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans and Sports Illustrated's "Fortunate 50" highest-paid athletes.

When the scandal erupted earlier this year, State Department officials suggested that the department maintained a list of "flagged files" to ensure that records of high-profile individuals were not breached. But investigators found that only 38 people were on the watch list, and there was no system or specific methodology for putting them there.

The watch list has since been expanded to more than 1,000 people, including all members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, senior administration officials, and entertainers, media personalities and sports figures.

State Department officials said they would implement almost all the report's recommendations -- including adding random audits of all passport files and cutting by half the number of people authorized to view the records -- and would discipline employees found to have violated privacy policies.

"We are reviewing the circumstances under which people looked at these records and we will take action," said Michael Kirby, a senior official with the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, which handles passports. "If it's inappropriate access, we will take appropriate measures."

Privacy Act violations could result in misdemeanor penalties or fines if workers disclosed personal information to a third party not authorized to receive it. Another law, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, could result in criminal penalties for unauthorized access to government computer systems.

State Department officials said that if they discover that the breaches resulted in identity theft or other problems for passport holders, they will notify them and offer credit-protection services. But officials said there have been no reports that the information in the applications was improperly used.