Georgetown University announced the theft of an external hard drive which contained 38,000 social security numbers belonging to current students, staff and alumni from 1998 to 2006. The hard drive was first reported missing on January 3.
University officials were especially concerned that the hard drive was not encrypted. The only protection is believed to be a password, which may not completely prevent access to the files.
Letters went out to those affected to warn against any adverse action, including identity theft. In addition, the University issued a press release, set up a website (identity.georgetown.edu) and established a toll-free hotline (866-740-2458).
Despite the university’s best efforts to notify those affected, some students were still upset about the breach. Some expressed concerns about identity theft. Others were upset they found out through the student newspaper.
Georgetown officials have promised access to free credit monitoring. In addition, they have stated that there are no indications that the information has been fraudulently used to commit identity theft.
Those affected should review their credit reports for any unauthorized activity, including new accounts that they do not recognize. Credit freezes will prevent unauthorized accounts to be open. However, these cost $10 per freeze, and $10 to unfreeze your credit profile.
Fraud alerts can be placed with each of the three main credit bureaus at no charge. They are temporary, but you can place a new fraud alert every three months to extend it for free.
Tags: data breach georgetown university