Social security numbers among data compromised in June attack
A security breach on the College of Education’s web server may have compromised 34,000 people’s information.
The server contained “confidential, personally identifiable information,” according to a university release, exposed during an attack detected on June 6. According to Wes Hickman, a university spokeman, the information included whole and partial Social Security numbers of students, employees and other people associated with the college. When the attack began is not clear, he said.
In the approximately two months since, the university has conducted a forensic investigation into the files that were exposed to identify whose files were compromised and find their contact information, Hickman said.
USC began sending letters to those users yesterday.
Which files on the server were accessed in the breach is not clear, but USC has advised those affected to place fraud alerts on their credit files with major reporting agencies.
The university has also hired a firm that consults on credit freezes and assists with analyzing credit reports to help those users.