There is another data breach at an educational institution. Penn State has a security breach involving alumni data:

“A university laptop containing past students’ archived information and Social Security numbers was stolen from a faculty member while traveling earlier this month, potentially exposing 677 alumni who graduated between 1999 and 2004 to identity theft.”

link: Students’ personal data stolen

There is no indication of whether Penn State will make identity theft protection available to those individuals who have had their personal information compromised. This incident also raises a question about old data bases. The missing information includes students from 1999. Why are data from former students on a current laptop? It would seem prudent that only necessary information be on a laptop that leaves a secured facility.

The fact that there have not been any reported incidents of identity theft does not diminish the future dangers. Identity theft may be revealed months - even years - later. For example, a stolen identity may be used not only for theft. Some individuals may assume that stolen identity and live ‘as that individual’. The discovery of such use of stolen personal information may not surface for years.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster:  http://flyinghamster.com/

[tag]laptop, data breach, privacy, security, identity theft, penn state, alumni[/tag]