DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

UK: Uni in Data Protection Breach

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Dissent

Jo Barrows reports on an e-mail gaffe involving University of York:

The Department of Admissions have been left red-faced after circulating an email containing private details of a postgraduate application to every student on the applicant’s course.

The email included a forwarded message from the applicant who was appealing against her rejection from a Masters in Public Health, as well as her email address and full name. The email was prefaced by a note from a member of staff at the Admissions department who added, “This applicant was rejected – DRQ being the reason.” It was sent to every student on the postgraduate health sciences mailing list.

Read more on York Vision.  I’m not clear on what “DRQ” stands for so I don’t know if that reason for rejection makes the breach worse or not. I’ve asked the author of the article if she can define it or clarify what it means.

There’s an interesting statement by a university spokesperson that almost seems to imply that a Google Mail feature may have contributed to the breach:

“This was an unintentional data breach. It clearly should not have happened and we have reinforced with both the member of staff concerned and indeed all the staff in the Office the need for extreme vigilance when sending emails, including the need to pay particular attention to email addresses prompted by the Google Mail system.

Category: Education SectorExposureNon-U.S.

Post navigation

← Symantec Dodges Norton Software User’s Data Breach Suit
Ninth months later, almost 860 Indiana residents are first being notified of the ADPI breach. →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Mysterious leaker GangExposed outs Conti kingpins in massive ransomware data dump
  • Resource: HoganLovells Asia-Pacific Data, Privacy and Cybersecurity Guide 2025
  • Class action settlement following ransomware attack will cost Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center about $52 million
  • Comstar LLC agrees to corrective action plan and fine to settle HHS OCR charges
  • Australian ransomware victims now must tell the government if they pay up
  • U.S. Sanctions Cloud Provider ‘Funnull’ as Top Source of ‘Pig Butchering’ Scams
  • Victoria’s Secret takes down website after security incident
  • U.S. Government Employee Arrested for Attempting to Provide Classified Information to Foreign Government
  • St. Cloud Provides Update on Ransomware Attack in 2024
  • Bradford Health Systems detected abnormal network activity in December 2023. They first sent out breach notices this week.

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Resource: HoganLovells Asia-Pacific Data, Privacy and Cybersecurity Guide 2025
  • She Got an Abortion. So A Texas Cop Used 83,000 Cameras to Track Her Down.
  • Why AI May Be Listening In on Your Next Doctor’s Appointment
  • Watch out for activist judges trying to deprive us of our rights to safe reproductive healthcare
  • Nebraska Bans Minor Social Media Accounts Without Parental Consent
  • Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans
  • The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.