Question. I received a notification letter from the Department of Biological Sciences stating that some of my personally identifiable data may have been accessed by an unauthorized external entity. Does that mean I am the victim of Identity Theft?

Answer. No. We do not have sufficient evidence to determine why this information was accessed, what it might have been used for, or if it was used at all. The Department of Biological Sciences has taken the precautionary measure of distributing an advisory to all affected individuals so that they can take appropriate steps if concerned.

Question. What personal information was involved?

Answer. The information included test scores, grades, names and social security numbers of some students who had taken BIOL 101, BIOL 102 and or BIOL 301.

Question. Is this information still at risk of disclosure to an unauthorized person?

Answer. The information involved has been secured. The Department of Biological Sciences is taking precautions to minimize future security risks which include a review of digital file storage practices.

Question. Why did it take so long to be notified?

Answer. As soon as the unauthorized access was discovered, USC initiated its incident handling procedures, which includes notification of affected individuals

I am no longer a student with the Department of Biological Sciences, why was this information still available?

Answer. University offices frequently must maintain historical information in order to perform their functions.

Question. I am a student with the Department of Biological Sciences but I did not receive a notification letter. What should I do?
Answer. No further action is required on your part. Only affected individuals received notification letters.

Question. What should I do if I discover fraudulent use of my personal information?

Answer. Visit the following websites for helpful information about identity protection and identity theft:

USC's Identity Protection - http://www.sc.edu/identity
Federal Trade Commission - http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft

Individuals whose personal information was involved can request a free initial fraud alert to be placed on their credit files by calling any one of the three major national credit bureaus. When you place a fraud alert with one of the national credit bureaus, that agency will notify the other two agencies. Fraud alerts will then be placed automatically on your accounts at all three agencies, and all three agencies will separately mail credit reports to you at no cost. Contact information for the three agencies appears below:

Equifax
Direct Line for reporting suspected fraud:
800-525-6285
Fraud Division
P.O. Box 740250
Atlanta, GA 30374
800-685-1111 / 888-766-0008
http://www.equifax.com

Experian
Direct Line for reporting suspected fraud:
888-397-3742
Credit Fraud Center
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013
888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
http://www.experian.com

Trans Union
Direct Line for reporting suspected fraud:
800-680-7289
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634
Phone: 800-916-8800 / 800-680-7289
http://www.transunion.com

When contacting the Credit Reporting Agency, you should request the following:
Instruct them to flag your file with a fraud alert including a statement that creditors should get your permission before opening any new accounts in your name.

Ask them for copies of your credit report(s) (credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if it is inaccurate because of suspected fraud). Review your reports carefully to make sure no additional fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized changes made to your existing accounts.

NOTE: In order to ensure that you are issued free credit reports, we strongly encourage you to contact the agencies DIRECT LINE (listed above) for reporting fraud. We do not recommend that you order your credit report online. Be diligent in following up on your accounts. In the coming months, order new copies of your reports to verify your corrections and changes, and to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.

If you find that any accounts have been tampered with or opened fraudulently, close them immediately. To ensure that you do not become responsible for any debts or charges, use the ID Theft Affidavit Form developed by the Federal Trade Commission to help make your case with creditors.

Question. Will the Department of Biological Sciences contact me to ask for private information because of this event?

Answer. In similar cases at other institutions, people have reportedly been contacted by individuals claiming to represent the University and who then proceed to ask for personal information, including social security numbers and/or credit card information. We will not contact you and ask for private information because of this event. Do not release any private information in response to contacts of this nature.

Question. Who should I contact if I have any additional questions?

Answer. In order to answer any questions that you may have, a special toll-free phone line, 1-800-279-8170, has been activated and will be monitored by a representative of the University Technology Services Help Desk between 9:30 am and 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. Please be aware that given FERPA regulations, the University will not be able to provide information about who was affected. Letters were mailed to all affected individuals on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 to their permanent mailing address on file with the University. If you do not receive a letter, your information was not released. You can also navigate our website at http://www.sc.edu/identity for additional information and resources.

On-Going Measures

University faculty and staff are committed to protecting all personal information. The incident remains under investigation and the University has taken immediate steps to prevent a future recurrence.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern that this situation may cause.