UCLA sets new record — university data on 800,000 is stolen
A hacker has infiltrated a University of
California, Los Angeles database containing the personal information on 800,000
people, the school said on Tuesday, in one of the worst computer breaches ever
at a U.S. university.
A hacker has infiltrated a University of California, Los Angeles database containing the personal information on 800,000 people, the school said on Tuesday, in one of the worst computer breaches ever at a U.S. university.
The hacker, who was seeking social security numbers, exploited a software flaw to crack the massive database, UCLA said in notices sent to all 800,000 potential victims, most of them current or former students and faculty members.
“My primary concern is to make sure this doesn’t happen again and to provide to the people whose data is stored in the database important information on how to minimize the risk of potential identity theft and fraud,” UCLA Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams said in a written release.
“We take our responsibility to safeguard personal information very seriously,” Abrams said.
Right. You’re doing a wonderful job.
The database contained names, social security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and contact information that could be used by identity thieves. It is normally restricted to those whose jobs require them to have access.
Both the university and FBI were investigating the hacker, who first began trying to access the school’s computer systems more than a year ago, but declined to say whether a suspect had been identified.
“When UCLA discovered this activity on November 21, 2006, computer security staff immediately blocked all access to Social Security numbers and began an emergency investigation,” Abrams said in the letter.
They’ve known this dude was trying for a year — the info was stolen, last month. Does anyone notice a trend, here?
Posted: Tue - December 12, 2006 at 03:54 PM