Social Security numbers, other data may have been stolen in LCC data breach
Social Security numbers, other data may have been stolen in LCC data breach
Mike Ellis
Lansing State Journal
LANSING — More than three-quarters of a million people may have had their social security numbers stolen in a data breach at Lansing Community College in late 2022 and early 2023, according to a law firm that says it's investigating the incident.
The community college notified "757,832 employees, students and vendors that their personal information may have been accessed or acquired by an unknown unauthorized person," Federman & Sherwood, a law firm with offices in Texas and Oklahoma, said in a statement posted on its website. The firm said it has initiated at investigation into the incident and asks people to contact them if they wish to "participate in this litigation." It's unclear if any lawsuit has been filed.
A spokeswoman for the college, Marilyn Twine, did not confirm the number of letters sent or how many people were potentially affected. She referred questions to attorney Richard Aponte-Boyd, who did not immediately respond. He works with data-breach specialty law firm Mullen & Coughlin LLC, based in Pennsylvania.
A data breach was discovered and reported by the college in March. Because of the breach, LCC shut down for several days. In the letter, the school said an "unauthorized actor" had access to "certain systems" from Dec. 25, 2022, until discovered on March 15, 2023. It took until May 24 to determine what information the actor had access to, the school said.
"To date, we have no evidence of any identity theft or fraud in connection with this incident," the college said in a statement.
The community college reported an annual enrollment of 14,000 students in the 2021-22 school year with 1,673 faculty and staff members. At least some of the people who received letters attended the school decades ago.
The letter, over LCC Chief Information Office Bill Garlick's signature, says the college is offering a year of complimentary identity monitoring services through Kroll, which bills itself as an independent risk and financial advisory company. The monitoring service requires registration.
The college is reviewing its procedures and is cooperating with a law enforcement investigation, according to a letter.
The data breach is being investigated by & Human Services' Office for Civil Rights and by state officials, according to a May update by the college. College officials said in March that the FBI and Michigan Cyber Command were also involved.
Contact Mike Ellis at [email protected] or 517-267-0415
Mike Ellis
Lansing State Journal
LANSING — More than three-quarters of a million people may have had their social security numbers stolen in a data breach at Lansing Community College in late 2022 and early 2023, according to a law firm that says it's investigating the incident.
The community college notified "757,832 employees, students and vendors that their personal information may have been accessed or acquired by an unknown unauthorized person," Federman & Sherwood, a law firm with offices in Texas and Oklahoma, said in a statement posted on its website. The firm said it has initiated at investigation into the incident and asks people to contact them if they wish to "participate in this litigation." It's unclear if any lawsuit has been filed.
A spokeswoman for the college, Marilyn Twine, did not confirm the number of letters sent or how many people were potentially affected. She referred questions to attorney Richard Aponte-Boyd, who did not immediately respond. He works with data-breach specialty law firm Mullen & Coughlin LLC, based in Pennsylvania.
A data breach was discovered and reported by the college in March. Because of the breach, LCC shut down for several days. In the letter, the school said an "unauthorized actor" had access to "certain systems" from Dec. 25, 2022, until discovered on March 15, 2023. It took until May 24 to determine what information the actor had access to, the school said.
"To date, we have no evidence of any identity theft or fraud in connection with this incident," the college said in a statement.
The community college reported an annual enrollment of 14,000 students in the 2021-22 school year with 1,673 faculty and staff members. At least some of the people who received letters attended the school decades ago.
The letter, over LCC Chief Information Office Bill Garlick's signature, says the college is offering a year of complimentary identity monitoring services through Kroll, which bills itself as an independent risk and financial advisory company. The monitoring service requires registration.
The college is reviewing its procedures and is cooperating with a law enforcement investigation, according to a letter.
The data breach is being investigated by & Human Services' Office for Civil Rights and by state officials, according to a May update by the college. College officials said in March that the FBI and Michigan Cyber Command were also involved.
Contact Mike Ellis at [email protected] or 517-267-0415
