University of Alabama, Birmingham Posts 960 Studentss SSNs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 2007Media Contact: Aaron Titus
(202) 669-2969
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama. In December, 2005, the business school at UAB posted the names, social security numbers, GPAs, and graduation dates of 960 former students online, in an unsecured Excel file. It was discovered using a Google search. A university spokesperson explained that the file was posted in error, and was taken down within hours of notification.
Individuals affected by this exposure should immediately visit www.nationalidwatch.org and search for their names, to confirm what types of personal information were exposed. NationalIDWatch.org has a list of recommended steps victims should take.
About NationalIDWatch.org
National ID Watch is a search engine for personal information breaches. Sponsored by the Washington, DC non-profit Liberty Coalition, NationalIDWatch.org provides more than a million free personalized Identity Exposure Reports™ as a public service.
Each Identity Exposure Report (IXR) documents what types of personal information were exposed (such as Social Security Numbers, Birth Dates, Addresses, etc.), without revealing them. Each IXR also details the situation surrounding each exposure, and contact information of those responsible for the breach. Armed with this information, victims can further investigate, take action, or correct harm.