Seven Years of Student and Employee Information Exposed
Quick Facts
- Date: 8/9/2005
- Institution: Sonoma State University
- Type of Incident: Penetration
- Number Affected: 62,000
- Source: INFOSEC Year In Review
- Abstract Source: San Francisco Chronicle via EDUPAGE
Abstract
Sonoma State University, an hour north of San Francisco, has become the latest in a growing list of universities to suffer a hacker attack that put personal information of students and staff at risk. At Sonoma State, hackers in July gained access to several computer workstations, which allowed them to access a number of other computers before university staff detected and put an end to the intrusion. In all, the hackers had access to names and Social Security numbers of nearly 62,000 students, applicants, or employees of the university between 1995 and 2002. A spokesperson for the university said the hackers did not have access to financial information and noted that there is currently no evidence that any of the information has been misused. Nevertheless, the university is required by state law to contact individuals whose personal information has been compromised, and the university is working to do just that. The university has set up a Web site with information and is advising affected individuals to contact credit-reporting agencies to be on the lookout for possible identity fraud. San Francisco Chronicle, 9 August 2005
[Abstract by Edupage Editors taken directly from Edupage, August 10, 2005]
