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November 17, 2008, 12:29 PM ET
Data on More Than 330,000 Patients Exposed at U. of Florida's Dental School
A hacked server at the University of Florida’s College of Dentistry has exposed data on more than 330,000 current and former patients there. They were informed of the breach last week.
The data included Social Security numbers and dental procedure information for patients dating back to 1990. “There is no evidence that the intruder viewed or downloaded any of this information,” according to the university’s statement about the incident. “However, it is a possibility the data was obtained.”
No credit card or banking information was divulged, according to the university. The F.B.I. and campus police department are investigating when the hacker gained access to the server and how.
This is one of seven incidents reported at a college or university this month, according to Educational Security Incidents, which has been tracking security problems in higher education since 2006. The number of incidents this fall has not been particularly unusual – especially compared to the high point of January 2008, when 23 reports were added to the list. But most problems involve data on hundreds or thousands of people, not hundreds of thousands as is the case with this breach.
Charles E. Frazier, the university’s interim chief information officer, said in the statement that the breach is another example of the “never-ending ‘cat and mouse’ battle” that hackers are waging with institutions.
The University of Florida has an extensive privacy Web site for information about reporting incidents and filing complaints, and the institution also has a chief privacy officer – a rarity in higher education, as noted in this week’s Chronicle.
Still, “sometimes the mouse wins,” Mr. Frazier said. — Lisa Guernsey
Categories: Security
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