OSU Hack Exposes Info on 760K People

Forensic Experts Say Hackers Sought to Use Servers to Launch Attacks December 17, 2010

Ohio State University says unauthorized individuals accessed a server containing personal information of some 760,000 former and current faculty, staff and students as well as applicants and others affiliated with the school such as consultants and contractors. The breach exposed names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and addresses.

University officials, in a statement posted on the school's website, say they discovered the breach in October and hired leading computer forensic consultants who confirmed the intrusion but said there was no evidence that any data were taken. The forensic experts said evidence existed showing the hackers intended to use the server to launch cyberattacks. The school says no OSU Medical Center patient records or student health records were involved.

Ohio State offered individuals whose information was in the system 12 months of free credit protection to help safeguard against harm from misuse of personal information.

"We are committed to maintaining the privacy of sensitive information and continually work to enhance our systems and practices to reduce the likelihood of such events occurring," Ohio State Provost Joseph Alutto said in a statement. "We regret that this has occurred and are exercising an abundance of caution in choosing to notify those affected. We also are working with a nationally recognized data security firm to further strengthen all of our systems."