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article imageLaptop Stolen With Data on Buffalo State College Students

Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Debra Myers (skyangel) in Crime | 12 comments | 305 views
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Yesterday, officials from Buffalo State College said that a laptop had been stolen which contained Social Security numbers of about 16,000 current and former students on March 13. "The school wasn't notified of the theft until late last Friday."
Buffalo, NY - The computer belonged to a software company that Buffalo State College gets their record system from.

The laptop was owned by a consultant of SunGard, who provides the program called "Banner®", which is the system that Buffalo State uses. The database of numbers, which are from the Spring of 2007, aren't easily matched to the student's names.

Buffalo State will be working closely with SunGard to determine which students were affected and what information was included about them. As soon as we can make these determinations we will notify each student individually by mail. The distribution of letters is anticipated to begin next week, April 21–25. If you do not receive a letter, you have not been affected.


An email was sent to its students asking them to monitor their financial records for any unusual activity.

SunGard's own site says that the
laptop was protected with a strong password to access the operating system.
The reason this information was on the laptop, is because
the nature of that employee’s job included analysis of customer data as part of software implementation and upgrade projects.


As of Friday, no reports of fraud had been reported, nor has the laptop been recovered.
article:253475:12::0
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  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Nikki W (karateblossom)
    		#1
    That is aweful, Deb! Not the reporting, mind you. LOL> the story.
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Debra Myers (skyangel)
    		#2
    @ Nikki W (karateblossom)
    That is aweful, Deb! Not the reporting, mind you. LOL> the story.


    LOL! I know! I hope that whomever stole it can't hack into it, that's a lot of people's information!!!
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Cynthia T. [Picasso]
    		#3
    It is scary when you think of how much information is stored on countless computers.

    Hopefully whoever stole the computer will not be able to access the information.
    quote
  • Sue D. Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Sue D.
    		#4
    This is happening more and more. great reporting Debra!
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Bob Ewing
    		#5
    you just never know who will find what, security is a major issue and a potentially dangerous one.
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Debra Myers (skyangel)
    		#6
    @ Cynthia T. [Picasso]
    It is scary when you think of how much information is stored on countless computers.

    Hopefully whoever stole the computer will not be able to access the information.


    I'm hoping the same thing, Cynthia.

    @ Sue D.
    This is happening more and more. great reporting Debra!


    Thanks, Susan!

    @ Bob Ewing
    you just never know who will find what, security is a major issue and a potentially dangerous one.


    So true!
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Chris V. (cgull)
    		#7
    It is stupid to put the data in a laptop in the first place. It should be in a central computer.
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Debra Myers (skyangel)
    		#8
    @ Chris V. (cgull)
    It is stupid to put the data in a laptop in the first place. It should be in a central computer.


    That was my thought too...I would never have expected that information to be on a laptop.
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Nikki W (karateblossom)
    		#9
    It probably was in Central bank but also on the laptop....convenience.

    Colleges are soooooo damned archaic when it comes to their systems.I mean, with the type of info they require AND the methods they use, i'm surpirsed they aren't asking for higher security.
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 19, 2008 by  Debra Myers (skyangel)
    		#10
    @ Nikki W (karateblossom)
    It probably was in Central bank but also on the laptop....convenience.

    Colleges are soooooo damned archaic when it comes to their systems.I mean, with the type of info they require AND the methods they use, i'm surpirsed they aren't asking for higher security.


    Perhaps they will now, KB. This is some pretty serious stuff...!
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 20, 2008 by  LewWaters
    		#11
    It would seem to me, what with the theft of laptops becoming so common, that storage of such sensitive material as SSN's and personal data of all students and such, isn't the best of ideas.

    The VA lost all of our personal data some time ago too, from someone taking home a laptop containing that info.

    Home laptops might not require really strict security, but surely those for colleges and government can see the need by now.
    quote
  • avatar Posted Apr 20, 2008 by  Debra Myers (skyangel)
    		#12
    @ LewWaters
    It would seem to me, what with the theft of laptops becoming so common, that storage of such sensitive material as SSN's and personal data of all students and such, isn't the best of ideas.

    The VA lost all of our personal data some time ago too, from someone taking home a laptop containing that info.

    Home laptops might not require really strict security, but surely those for colleges and government can see the need by now.


    I know what you mean, Lew. This has happened time and again...it seems there would be more safeguards in place to prevent things like this happening.
    quote

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