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University of North Florida: over 106,000 being notified of hack from outside of U.S.

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Dissent

The University of North Florida has issued this statement on its website:

Impacted individuals being notified
Between September 24, 2010 and September 29, 2010, a UNF file containing the personal information of high school and college students (and others interested in UNF) may have been accessed by unauthorized persons outside the United States.  While immediate steps were taken to contain this breach and to prevent further unauthorized access, UNF is sending letters and e-mails to the 106,884 people impacted by this breach of security.  UNF recognizes that those impacted will have many questions.  This list of frequently asked questions was designed to provide helpful information about the breach.

What happened?
A person (or persons) outside the United States unlawfully gained access to a computer server containing a confidential file of information.  In the world of computer security, these types of people are identified as “intruders.” It is possible the intruder’s intent was to either disrupt normal business or use the computer’s processing power to launch similar attacks on other computers.  While we have no proof that confidential information was stolen, the University is taking the precautionary measure of distributing a letter and e-mail notification to those individuals whose information was in the file, so that they can take appropriate steps.

Do you know who did this?
At this point, we do not know who this intruder is but our investigation into the incident has been brought to the attention of the FBI.  The FBI is now working with our University Police Department on the ase.  This is an ongoing investigation, and the cause and intent has yet to be determined.

How many people could be impacted and what type of personal information was possibly revealed to the intruder?
A total of 106,884 people could have been impacted by this breach.  Of those:

  • 52,853 had their names and social security numbers compromised
  • 54,031 had their names and dates of birth compromised

Why would UNF have my information?
UNF collects a variety of information as part of the recruitment and application process.  This information is used by the University to communicate with prospective students, to determine eligibility for admission, and to award financial aid. 

What could the intruder do with the information?
It is possible that the intruder could commit identity theft and then credit fraud.  To learn more about identity theft, go to www.ftc.gov/idtheft/

Will the University contact me to ask for private information because of this event? No.  In similar cases at other institutions, people have reportedly been contacted by individuals claiming to represent the University, who then proceed to ask for personal information, including social security numbers and/or credit card information. Please be aware that UNF will only contact you about this incident if additional helpful information becomes available. We will not ask for your full Social Security Number. We will not ask for credit card or bank information. We recommend that you do not release personal information in response to any contacts of this nature that you have not initiated.

What student data is at risk?
In some cases, the intruder may have had access to ACT and/or SAT test scores because those scores are used in the recruitment process.  UNF grades, financial aid history and course history are not at risk.

I was one of the people that received a notification via e-mail/letter from the University of North Florida about the breach. Does that mean someone stole my personal information?
Not necessarily.  At this point in the investigation, we know the intruder accessed the information, but we do not know if, how or when the intruder plans to use the information.

Is this information still at risk of disclosure to the intruder or others?
The computer involved in this incident has been secured. The University is taking precautions to minimize future security risks.  However, as stated above, the intruder did have access to the information and we don’t know if, how or when the intruder plans to use the information.

Hat-tip, FirstCoastNews

Category: Breach IncidentsEducation SectorHackOf NoteU.S.

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