Officials at the University of Nebraska are working with the police in an effort to identify an individual who managed to breach the school’s data system. The data system contains protected information about the school’s students, including grades, addresses, social security numbers and financial aid details.
School officials have said they don’t believe any information was actually downloaded, but the students and alumni whose information has been compromised have been notified of the breach.
The data contained within the breached system dates back to 1985 and covers students and alumni from all four of the University of Nebraska campuses. The university’s information security officer, Joshua Mauk said; “The University of Nebraska takes the protection of student and alumni information very seriously. Right now, we’re focused on determining the exact nature of the breach and communicating with those who may have been affected.”
Officials believe that the person responsible for hacking into the system is experienced and knows what they are doing. The school stopped the breach within hours of discovering it. Individuals with personal information on the breached database are being advised to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity and report anything that may arrise.
The school has set up a website and a call center to help answer any questions or concerns regarding the matter.
