Columbia University Breach Exposes Millions in Data
Columbia University has disclosed a significant data breach that has impacted nearly 870,000 individuals, comprising current and former students, employees, and applicants. The breach, uncovered after a network outage in June, involved unauthorized access to the university’s systems, exposing sensitive data such as names, Social Security numbers, academic records, and financial information. Columbia has initiated notifications to affected individuals, beginning on August 7, and is implementing enhanced security measures to prevent future breaches.
The breach has raised serious concerns about identity theft and fraud, as the stolen data includes admissions, enrollment, and financial aid records. While the university assures that patient records from its medical center were not compromised, the volume of stolen data has posed significant risks. Columbia has reported the incident to law enforcement and is working with cybersecurity experts to strengthen its systems. Affected individuals are being offered two years of complimentary credit monitoring and fraud consultation services.
Victims are advised to monitor their credit reports regularly, use data removal services to minimize their online footprint, and take other protective measures such as setting up fraud alerts and credit freezes. The breach underscores the vulnerability of even trusted institutions to cyberattacks, highlighting the need for heightened security measures and proactive data protection strategies for individuals and organizations.