A letter went out from the San José Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) advising recipients of a breach affecting current and former students at the Austin, Texas-based school.
The letter explained that on Nov. 27 a school employee uploaded a file containing personal information of SJECCD students onto a publicly accessible folder on the school's website. This made the data available to anyone performing a search. The school took down the file as soon as it became aware of the situation, began an investigation and concluded that the incident was inadvertent with no malicious intent.
In the letter, Deborah Budd, chancellor, said investigators were not aware of any third party misusing the data – which Included students' names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers – and said staff was being re-educated "on the importance of keeping student information secure." Plus, the school will be partnering with AllClear ID to safeguard student information for the next year at no cost to the students. Additionally, identity repair and credit monitoring services have been engaged to which students have access.
The school advised students to "remain vigilant" in regard to fraud and identity theft and to keep an eye on credit reports, bank account activity and financial statements for any unauthorized transactions. The school also provided students with a reference guide on preventing identity theft and a phone number to call with any further questions.
