Department of Biological Sciences Student Data Exposure - September 2007

The University of South Carolina has recently discovered that some student’s personally identifiable data may have been accessed by an unauthorized external entity.

Several computer files containing test scores and grades and including names and social security numbers of some students who had taken BIOL 101, BIOL 102 and or BIOL 301 were inadvertently stored on a Department computer server, to be accessed only by Department staff. Public access to these files was revealed to us by a company scanning our server; this company indicated that search engines had indexed some of the files, and provided a web site where individuals could determine the nature of their personal information that may have been revealed (https://ssnbreach.org/).

Although the University has no evidence that an unauthorized individual is actually using your personal information, there are steps that you can take to protect yourself. For example, you may wish to check your credit report. Guidance on identify theft precaution measures is available at the University’s website: http://www.sc.edu/identity. The Federal Trade Commission website http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/ is another excellent resource.

All available information is contained within the letter sent to affected students and this website. If you wish to speak to someone, the University has set up a toll-free number at 1-800-279-8170, which will be answered 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.

The University is committed to continually updating its security to protect our community. We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern that this incident may cause. We assure you that the University is working diligently to prevent this type of incident from recurring in the future.