Hackers feasted on the personal information of 5,735 current and former UVA faculty members, including their birth dates and social security numbers, on 54 separate days between May 2005 and April 2007, a press release from University Relations announced on June 8.
 While identify theft at UVA might not be push-button easy, hackers have weaseled out personal info on 5,700 current and former profs. |
The breach could affect anyone who had any faculty designation at UVA or the College at Wise from 1990 until 2003, and includes 2,100 current UVA faculty members.
James Hilton, chief information officer, said obtaining the information required “a relatively sophisticated and intentional attack on the database.”
“Hackers could use the stolen information to set up fraudulent bank or credit card accounts,” the release states.
UVA says it has corrected the problem and is working with University police, in consultation with the FBI, to prosecute the invaders.
This isn’t the first time the University has let a few SSNs leak. Late last year, the social security numbers of 632 students were e-mailed to other students by Student Financial Services. UVA is in the process of phasing out use of social security numbers by students for course enrollment.
For peace of mind, the University is offering free credit monitoring for one year to those affected. And UVA faculty can call this toll-free number to check if their information has been compromised: 866-621-5948, between 8am and 5pm weekdays. Just in case this strikes anyone as a potential scam on top of a scam, we recommend making sure the folks on the other end can sing all the words to the “Good Old Song” before you dial in your information.
Or, for those completely disenchanted by UVA’s bungling, C-VILLE is offering its own Free Credit Cleanup Service! Just e-mail us your name, date of birth, social security number, a brief list of hobbies, favorite vacation spots, and the approximate monetary value of your average credit card purchase. We’ve got you covered.
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