Matt Krupnick of Contra Costa Times reports that hackers may have stolen personal information from a decade’s worth of current and former UC Berkeley students. Those affected include about 3,400 Mills College students who used or were eligible for UC Berkeley medical services. health insurance. Henry K. Lee of The San Francisco Chronicle adds that the hackers are thought to be overseas.
According to a university spokesperson, the breach involved records at the school’s health center that contained Social Security numbers, information, immunization history and the names of treating physicians. No treatment-related records were breached.
The data may appears to have been stolen between Oct. 9, 2008 and April 9, 2009. In a statement linked from its home page, UC Berkeley states:
The campus learned of the breach in April, immediately removed from service the exposed databases to prevent any further attacks, and alerted campus police and the FBI. In all, more than 160,000 individuals will be alerted, including those who had their Social Security numbers accessed and others who may be at risk for identity theft. E-mails were issued starting today, and letters should start arriving over the next week. These communications will also include guidance on steps these individuals should take to guard against potential identity theft. A hotline has been established to answer any questions from individuals who received notices.
The victims of this crime are current and former UC Berkeley students (as well as their parents and spouses, if linked to insurance coverage) who had UHS health care coverage or received services. The campus is also sending notification letters to approximately 3,400 Mills College students who received, or were eligible to receive, health care at UC Berkeley.
The data for UC Berkeley students, alumni and their parents date back to 1999. The information involving Mills College former and current students dates back to 2001.