On June 28, 2023, Roosevelt University (“RU”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after discovering that an unauthorized actor was able to access confidential student and prospective student information in the school’s possession. In this notice, RU explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to applicants’ FAFSA applications, which included individuals’ names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers. Upon completing its investigation, RU began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from Roosevelt University, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve previously discussed in other posts, data breaches involving your Social Security number are very concerning. This is because of the ease with which hackers or other criminals can use your Social Security number to commit identity theft and other frauds. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft as well as discuss your legal options following the Roosevelt University data breach.
What Caused the Roosevelt University Breach?
The Roosevelt University data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, RU’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, around May 1, 2023, Roosevelt University detected unusual activity within its computer network. In response, RU secured its network and launched an investigation into the incident with the assistance of third-party data security specialists.
The Roosevelt University investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to access parts of the school’s network on May 1, 2023. It was later determined that some of these files contained confidential information belonging to certain students and prospective students who submitted FAFSA applications.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Roosevelt University reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. RU completed this process on May 25, 2023. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, address, Social Security number, and driver’s license number.
On June 28, 2023, Roosevelt University sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of which information of theirs was compromised.
More Information About Roosevelt University
Founded in 1945, Roosevelt University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Chicago, Illinois. Roosevelt University has a student body of approximately 6,000 students, between undergraduate and graduate students, and is also the home to Roosevelt is home to the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Roosevelt University employs more than 891 people and generates approximately $80 million in annual revenue.
