Personal information, such as names, birth dates and Social Security numbers, of about 1,120 applicants to the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine for the 2007-2008 school year are in the hands of a hacker. One hundred thirty-one of these applicants are accepted students. The university determined that its computer-security safeguards had been breached on June 15. It became apparent when applicants who had recently been admitted to the School of Veterinary Medicine attempted to set up campus computer accounts and were notified that accounts had already been established in their names. Further investigation showed that the records of 375 veterinary medical school applicants for the 2004-2005 school year (seven of them admitted students) also might have been illegally accessed. “We are working with law enforcement officials to determine how the campus computer-security system was penetrated and to track those who are responsible,” said Bennie Osburn, DVM, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. “We deeply regret this breach of security and are notifying the affected individuals to help them identify and protect against any unlawful use of their personal information.” Dr. Osburn also said that U.C. Davis will make available a one-year credit monitoring service for those affected by the incident at its own expense. For more information, visit www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/computer_security. To contact the School of Veterinary Medicine Dean’s Office, call (530) 752-8032 or e-mail deansoffice@vetmed.ucdavis.edu. <HOME>
