Colombia University Exposes Details of 3,500 Individuals for 2 Years

In 2010, a programmer working with the Columbia University Information Technology department inadvertently published a file containing the personal details of 3,500 individuals. The incident was uncovered only on April 16, 2012.

According to university representatives, the file contained names, addresses, social security numbers and bank account numbers, but apparently the data wasn’t accessed between January 2010 and March 10, 2012.

As a result of the breach, 3,500 individuals who, back in 2010, received direct deposit reimbursements from Columbia, were notified regarding the risks.

This is the fifth incident of this kind in which Columbia University is involved.

“We deeply regret that this incident occurred and the imposition it has caused. We have arranged for affected individuals to receive a two-year subscription to a credit monitoring system to help ensure they are protected from the risk of identity theft,” a Columbia spokesperson told DataBreaches.