Recently, the University of Minnesota (“U of M”) confirmed that it is investigating a data breach after hackers claimed to have obtained over seven million Social Security numbers from the school’s computer network. However, at this point, U of M has not yet confirmed the data types that may have been subject to unauthorized access or the number of people affected. A U of M spokesperson indicated that the university will soon begin 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 the University of Minnesota, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. 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 University of Minnesota data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the University of Minnesota Breach?

The University of Minnesota data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, a U of M spokesperson recently spoke with reporters about the incident. According to this source, last month, U of M was made aware of a potential data security incident when a hacker claimed to have obtained seven million unique Social Security numbers from the U of M system.

As soon as U of M learned about the potential breach, it launched an investigation to confirm the hackers’ reports. The university also notified law enforcement and federal regulators. And, while the U of M investigation is ongoing, a spokesperson stated that the university’s preliminary findings suggest the data that may be compromised dates back to 2021 and earlier. This seemingly corroborates the hackers’ claim that the leaked data spans all the way back to 1989.

Once the University of Minnesota completes its investigation, it will send out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised. In the meantime, experts recommend that anyone who believes they may be affected by the breach should consider placing a freeze on their credit report.

More Information About the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota is an educational system with campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester, and Twin Cities. Between the five University of Minnesota campuses, students are provided with a choice of nearly 300 different majors and programs. Currently, U of M enrolls over 68,000 students and grants more than 15,900 degrees each year. University of Minnesota employs more than 20,000 people and generates approximately $2.3 billion in annual revenue.