LOS ANGELES – The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) announced on Dec. 12 that a hacker forced his way into the school’s computer system, giving him access to the personal information of approximately 800,000 current and former students, faculty and staff.
The intrusions occurred over a 13-month period, beginning in October 2005 and ending Nov. 21, 2006, when computer security technicians noticed suspicious activity taking place in the computer system.
The hacker had access to Social Security numbers, names, addresses and birthdates but not credit card information, banking information or driver’s license numbers. According to UCLA, the hacker obtained only some Social Security numbers, although the university is contacting everyone in the database.
In a letter posted on a school Web site, Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams said there is no evidence the information had been misused. However, anyone whose personal information was exposed should contact credit-reporting agencies to monitor their credit, Abrams said.
