Ohio State Computer Containing 760,000 Individuals Personal Information Breached
Written on December 12, 2010 – 8:37 pm | by Chloe Gatenby
Ohio State University says unauthorized individuals accessed a computer server containing personal information for approximately 760,000 individuals, including current and former faculty, staff, and students, as well as applicants and other individuals affiliated with the university such as consultants and contractors.
The university discovered the breach in late October and said there is no indication information was taken and it does not believe there is a risk of identity theft. The server includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses.
Experts did find evidence that the purpose of the unauthorized access was to launch cyber attacks. All individuals whose information was in the system have been offered 12 months of free credit protection to help safeguard against harm from misuse of personal information
“We are committed to maintaining the privacy of sensitive information and continually work to enhance our systems and practices to reduce the likelihood of such events occurring,” said Joseph A. Alutto, Ohio State provost.
“We regret that this has occurred and are exercising an abundance of caution in choosing to notify those affected. We also are working with a nationally recognized data security firm to further strengthen all of our systems,” Alutto added.
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Tags: Ohio State, Personal, Personal Information