Computer Intrusion
August 5, 2009 UMass Amherst Reports Attack by Computer Hackers on Server; No Evidence of Loss of Personal Information
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts Amherst has suffered an illegal intrusion into its computing network, but there is no evidence of theft of personal information. In the incident, hackers gained access to a departmental server that contained individuals' Social Security numbers and a very limited amount of credit card information, but there is no evidence that the hackers targeted this particular information nor that they removed large amounts of data from the server.
A detailed analysis by an independent computer forensics company also concluded that the intruders' attack was not specifically designed to look for personally identifiable information, John Dubach, chief information officer, said. He also said records do not show large amounts of data being extracted from the server, but that the potential for a loss of data did exist for a short period of time. Therefore, based on Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 93H, the university has proceeded to notify the state attorney general and the public. The server contained names and Social Security numbers of students who attended the university between 1982 and 2002 as well as a few others attending before 1982.
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