January 31, 2008

Georgetown University Loses Personal Data of 38,000 Individuals

An external hard drive containing the Social Security numbers of 38,000 Georgetown University students, faculty, and staff was stolen from the university's Office of Student Affairs, according to The Hoya, the university's student newspaper. The hard drive contained billing information for student services, and included data on 7,700 current students -- over half the current student body -- as well as information on alumni from 1998 to 2006 and many faculty members. The hard drive, which turned up missing Jan. 3, was kept in the office of Lynn Hirschfield, senior business manager for student affairs, The Hoya said. It said the hard drive was not encrypted.

Data Thieves Hit Georgetown University Students, Faculty, Consumer Affairs, January 30, 2008.