Every now and then I will be posting news and information regarding critical violations in identity & data protection. The stories I will be posting will highlight examples, I believe, where a lack of an effective access management policy has contributed in part to the security breach.
My goal here is to highlight how frequently these attacks occur, to show where some of these vulnerabilities exist, and how costly the consequences can be. I do not aim to single out the failures of any one organization, but to stress the importance of identity management and access security.
Detroit News/March 11, 2011
EMU probes security breach of student data
Ypsilanti — Eastern Michigan University's Department of Public Safety is investigating a security breach involving the personal information of 45 students, EMU officials said.
Names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers were improperly accessed by two former student employees who worked in offices where they had access to student records, EMU officials said.
It was not immediately clear when the information was accessed or where it was sent. Public safety officials learned of the breach while investigating an unrelated matter in the last two weeks, said Walter Kraft, the university's vice president of communications.
Officials did not reveal in what offices the students worked but, according to a statement on the university's website, they "used that access to improperly copy and, in a few instances, transmit personal information of students or their dependents."
After the breach was discovered, "steps were immediately taken to identify the scope of the breach and remove the threat that further information could be improperly accessed" The student workers are no longer employed by the university. The students whose information was transmitted have been notified.
"If you did not receive notification, then based on our current information, we do not believe your records were involved," university officials said.
For information on identity theft, EMU students can go to http://www.emich.edu/securitybreach-march-2011/index.php.
From The Detroit News:
http://detnews.com/article/20110311/SCHOOLS/103110395/EMU-probes-security-breach-of-student-data#ixzz1HXpbhpWY
For information on Tools4ever's identity & access management opportunities, visit http://www.tools4ever.com/solutions/
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 11:14AM 