DataBreaches.Net

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

Kentucky Wesleyan College notice of data security incident – should the FTC investigate?

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Dissent

As posted on their web site on March 20, KWC reveals an incident that they became aware of in September 2020.

Kentucky Wesleyan College experienced a Network Security Incident, resulting in the temporary loss of availability to its files and systems. We have since resolved the Incident and implemented additional security measures. Although there was no direct evidence of any misuse of personal information, this Incident may have resulted in unauthorized access to the personal information of certain Kentucky Wesleyan faculty, students, staff records and potentially others. Accordingly, Kentucky Wesleyan will be providing direct formal notice to all individuals whose personal information may have been impacted by the Incident. We value our members of the Kentucky Wesleyan community and thank you for your understanding. For more information, please see our FAQs at the link below.

If you have any questions about this Incident or questions regarding the content of the formal notice, please telephone our dedicated call center at 1-866-752-0071 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

The FAQ does not explain the actual nature of the breach nor how it occurred. Nor does it explain why it took approximately six months to make notifications.  What it does reveal is the types of information involved:

What information may have been impacted?
The type of personal information that may have been accessed includes names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers, financial aid award information, and in some limited instances, other potential Personal Identifying Information (“PII”).

What types of personal information does “Other Potential PII” encompass?
Such information may encompass any of the following:

  • Taxpayer/ Employer Identification Number;
  • Email address with password or associated security questions;
  • Username with password or associated security questions;
  • Identity Protection Personal Identification Number Issued by the IRS; or
  • Biometric Data (g., fingerprints).

So six months to notify people that their SSN and other identity information and financial aid may have been accessed?

The security of student financial aid data should be covered by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act. The Federal Trade Commission has enforcement authority over GLBA. Both DataBreaches.net and EPIC.org had argued in a previous education sector breach incident that the FTC should take enforcement action over schools that fail to adequately secure student financial aid data. They didn’t investigate in that case.

The FTC generally has no authority over the education sector or not-for-profits, but they do have authority to enforce GLBA. When there’s a breach involving student financial aid and students aren’t even notified for almost six months — and then they are not even offered any mitigation services, maybe the FTC should take a look at the incident?

Updated 11:19 am: DataBreaches.net discovered that the college reported this incident as impacting 31,796 individuals. And although their web site notification and FAQ do not mention any mitigation services, their actual postal letter to individuals does offer 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services with Cyberscout. The post was edited post-publication to remove a comment that they had not offered any services.

Category: Commentaries and AnalysesEducation SectorU.S.

Post navigation

← AZ: Maricopa Community Colleges cancel classes amid cybersecurity issue
MO: Park Hill schools closed Monday due to malware attack →

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

  • Central Maine Healthcare tackles suspected cybersecurity issue; hospitals remain open
  • Cartier Data Breach: Luxury Retailer Warns Customers that Personal Data Was Exposed
  • Beyond the Pond Phish: Unraveling Lazarus Group’s Evolving Tactics
  • Akira doesn’t keep its promises to victims — SuspectFile
  • Fraudsters, murderers, students: who the GRU assembled a team of hacker provocateurs from and why it failed
  • Order of Psychologists of Lombardy fined 30,000 € for inadequate data security protection and detection following ransomware attack
  • Lower Merion School District says a data breach was caused by a computer glitch (1)
  • After $1 Million Ransom Demand, Virgin Islands Lottery Restores Operations Without Paying Hackers
  • Junior Defence Contractor Arrested For Leaking Indian Naval Secrets To Suspected Pakistani Spies
  • Mysterious leaker GangExposed outs Conti kingpins in massive ransomware data dump

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

  • Stewart Baker vs. Orin Kerr on “The Digital Fourth Amendment”
  • Fears Grow Over ICE’s Reach Into Schools
  • 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

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.