Two Stolen CMU Laptops Contain Student Information
Quick Facts
- Date: 10/9/2007
- Institution: Carnegie Mellon University
- Type of Incident: Theft
- Number Affected: Unknown
- Source: ESI
- Abstract Source: The Tartan Online
Abstract
Carnegie Mellon University is working to contact a number of students after a pair of laptops containing "significant personal identifying data", including Social Security numbers, were stolen from a professors office. According to the university, the theft laptops were stolen from the office of a computer science professor in Wean Hall on September 2. According to the police report, the auto-lock feature on the door may have been disabled without the professors knowledge. Students enrolled in the professors computer science classes between 2004 and 2006, when the university stopped using SSNs as identifiers, may be affected by this breach. However, the university believes the risk of identity theft to be low despite the fact that the information was not encrypted. One affected student requested the university provide free credit monitoring for a year, but this request was declined. Both the Information Security Office and University Police believe the thief was after the laptops for their commercial value and not the information they contain.
