• TREND MICRO
  • ABOUT
Search:
  • Latest Posts
  • Categories
    • Android
    • AWS
    • Azure
    • Cloud
    • Compliance
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Cybercrime
    • Encryption
    • Financial Services
    • Government
    • Hacks
    • Healthcare
    • Internet of Everything
    • Malware
    • Microsoft
    • Mobile Security
    • Network
    • Privacy
    • Ransomware
    • Security
    • Social Media
    • Small Business
    • Targeted Attacks
    • Trend Spotlight
    • Virtualization
    • Vulnerabilities
    • Web Security
    • Zero Day Initiative
    • Industry News
  • Our Experts
    • Ed Cabrera
    • Rik Ferguson
    • Greg Young
    • Mark Nunnikhoven
    • Jon Clay
    • William “Bill” Malik
  • Research
Home   »   Industry News   »   Current News   »   Virginia university accidentally exposes student information

Virginia university accidentally exposes student information

  • Posted on:June 14, 2011
  • Posted in:Current News, Privacy & Policy
  • Posted by:
    Trend Micro
0

The University of Mary Washington in Fredricksburg, Virginia, recently issued a memo to students, informing them of a data security failure that may have exposed the personal information of approximately 7,500 students, the Free-Lance Star reported.

According to the report, information was disclosed on the university's EagleNet, a private web portal that can only be accessed by UMW students, faculty and staff. The information posted included student Social Security numbers, names and dates of birth, the news provider stated.

School officials said they removed the information on May 23, but not before three students accessed it. Though based on the limited exposure of the information, one school official said it is unlikely student privacy was compromised.

"We deeply regret this situation and any inconvenience or concern it may cause you," UMW chief information officer Dana German wrote in a memo to students, according to the Free-Lance Star. "We are fully committed to maintaining the privacy of UMW student information, and we have taken steps to avoid any possible recurrence of this incident."

A need for more stringent data protection practices among American universities is evident, given that UMW isn't the first educational institution to make headlines in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, attorneys representing students from the University of Hawaii criticized the school's data security vulnerabilities, asserting that the university has not taken the steps necessary to ensure personal information isn't compromised.

This criticism came after the university suffered four data breaches in recent years, the most severe of which potentially exposed the information of more than 40,000 former students.

There are a number of steps universities and other organizations can take to bolster data security practices. One of the key steps involves educating university staff about data protection and the regulations that dictate it. When employees are knowledgeable about the implications of data security, they may be less likely to make mistakes and accidentally post personal information about students.

Related posts:

  1. UK medical student exposes sensitive patient information
  2. Hackers breach University of Wisconsin database
  3. Exam information available to UK students under data protection law
  4. Student data gathering practices called into question

Security Intelligence Blog

  • Our New Blog
  • How Unsecure gRPC Implementations Can Compromise APIs, Applications
  • XCSSET Mac Malware: Infects Xcode Projects, Performs UXSS Attack on Safari, Other Browsers, Leverages Zero-day Exploits

Featured Authors

Ed Cabrera (Chief Cybersecurity Officer)
Ed Cabrera (Chief Cybersecurity Officer)
  • Ransomware is Still a Blight on Business
Greg Young (Vice President for Cybersecurity)
Greg Young (Vice President for Cybersecurity)
  • Not Just Good Security Products, But a Good Partner
Jon Clay (Global Threat Communications)
Jon Clay (Global Threat Communications)
  • This Week in Security News: Ransomware Gang is Raking in Tens of Millions of Dollars and Microsoft Patch Tuesday Update Fixes 17 Critical Bugs
Mark Nunnikhoven (Vice President, Cloud Research)
Mark Nunnikhoven (Vice President, Cloud Research)
  • Twitter Hacked in Bitcoin Scam
Rik Ferguson (VP, Security Research)
Rik Ferguson (VP, Security Research)
  • The Sky Has Already Fallen (you just haven’t seen the alert yet)
William
William "Bill" Malik (CISA VP Infrastructure Strategies)
  • Black Hat Trip Report – Trend Micro

Follow Us

Trend Micro In The News

  • Advanced Cloud-Native Container Security Added to Trend Micro's Cloud One Services Platform
  • Trend Micro Goes Global to Find Entrepreneurs Set to Unlock the Smart Connected World
  • Winners of Trend Micro Global Capture the Flag Demonstrate Excellence in Cybersecurity
  • Companies Leveraging AWS Well-Architected Reviews Now Benefit from Security Innovations from Trend Micro
  • Trend Micro Announces World's First Cloud-Native File Storage Security
  • Home and Home Office
  • |
  • For Business
  • |
  • Security Intelligence
  • |
  • About Trend Micro
  • Asia Pacific Region (APAC): Australia / New Zealand, 中国, 日本, 대한민국, 台灣
  • Latin America Region (LAR): Brasil, México
  • North America Region (NABU): United States, Canada
  • Europe, Middle East, & Africa Region (EMEA): France, Deutschland / Österreich / Schweiz, Italia, Россия, España, United Kingdom / Ireland
  • Privacy Statement
  • Legal Policies
  • Copyright © 2017 Trend Micro Incorporated. All rights reserved.