List Of Hacked Universities Grows

Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Connecticut, has acknowledged that its computer systems have been hacked. The intrusion took place on May 8, according to officials from the university, though they declined to provide further details. The university did say it has notified local police and the FBI. A local television station reported that the university has notified about 135,000 individuals that the incident may have put their personal information at risk, including Social Security numbers. An unnamed source reportedly told the station that the university had informed him that information he provided as part of the school’s entrance exams was included in the compromised data. Colleges and universities have been the targets of a number of data breaches in recent years, and some analysts fault school officials for not taking adequate precautions. Avivah Litan, a security analyst with research firm Gartner, said institutions do not put enough emphasis–or money–into computer security.

CNET, 25 May 2006