Private data on about 6,500 former University of Kentucky students (dating back to 1988) have been stolen along with a flash drive. Experts at InfoWatch point out that all the details of the incident demonstrate a distinct lack of any IT security at the university.
The University of Kentucky has sent out letters to 6,500 former and current students notifying them of a data breach. The letter from the university administration states that a flash drive stolen from a university classroom may contain the private data of the addressees.
On May 26 the university reported the theft of the flash drive, which contained educational materials as well as the personal details of students dating back to 1988. The stolen flash drive contained 130 files, but it is unclear exactly how many of the 6,500 students’ details have been compromised.
“I’m fairly sure that nobody at the university has heard of IT security. One of the teachers has gone and copied lots of old private records on to a flash drive along with his lecture notes, and then lost all that information. The university administration has made no mention of a break-in or the theft of any really expensive equipment, suggesting the thief may have targeted the drive for the information it contained,” says Denis Zenkin, marketing director at InfoWatch.
Source: wtvq.com
