Berkeley Grads' Identity Data Stolen

yali writes "Did you get a graduate degree from Berkeley? Or maybe you just applied but didn't go there? If so, your identity may have been stolen. A laptop was stolen containing names, social security numbers, birthdates, and addresses of grad students, alumni, and applicants. University police suspect that the thief just wanted the laptop, but the irony of California's mandatory notification law is that the thief may now know they have something even more valuable. Berkeley has set up a website with information on the breach."

Comments

Secret

[BWJones]

Personal data need to be treated as government certification of Secret documents, or at least give it Collateral classification level treatment. When personal data is checked out and allowed to be placed on laptops or other portable devices for removal from the central location where the data is stored, personal responsibility needs to be ensured and access should be confirmed by 1) need to know basis and 2) those who are trained to undergo training with confidential data.

Granted, this will not prevent all leaks as even the State Department, CIA and FBI have had problems with missing laptops, but they are getting better about data confidentiality and security through training and implementation of protocols designed to limit leaks and unauthorized access.

Why do they need the SSNs?

[lecithin]

This is a pet peeve and it is just getting worse.

Why does a school need our SSNs? Why does anybody outside the government?

Here in Minnesota, I need to provide my SSN now just for fishing and hunting licenses. WTF?

Re:Why do they need the SSNs?

[DarkTempes]

they use it as a personal identification number (which it isn't supposed to be used as but since everyone has a unique one it makes it easy for them to do it).

they don't NEED to but they CAN and so they do.

Privacy

[Tom]

Let's hope the sheer amount of identify theft problems will spearhead a push for more privacy protection.
I don't just mean everyone gathering less personal information, I also mean making sure that what they do gather is adequately protected. You have a resonsibility to your clients, customers, whatever.

Why all on a latop?

[WebHostingGuy]

Why was all of this on a laptop?

Sensitive information should be placed in a central repository and then encrypted and guarded. The mere fact that someone can download this to a laptop shows that their mindset is that this information is just normal stuff like a word document. Before you can have true security organizations need to get this first.