The University of New Orleans (UNO) recently suffered a data breach, compromising the personal information of thousands of students and staff. The breach occurred on March 2, 2023, but it was not until April 1, 2023, that the university discovered the extent of the breach.
According to UNO’s official statement, the breach affected personal information, including names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of approximately 10,000 current and former students and 5,000 staff members. The university has stated that it has notified all affected individuals and is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those impacted by the breach.
UNO has also stated that it has taken steps to secure its systems and prevent further breaches from occurring. The university has engaged third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and has implemented additional security measures to prevent future attacks.
The university has not provided any details about how the breach occurred or who may be responsible. However, given the sensitive nature of the information compromised, it is likely that the breach was the result of a targeted cyber attack.
The UNO data breach is a reminder of the growing threat of cyber attacks and the need for organizations to take proactive steps to protect their data. Educational institutions, in particular, are often targeted by hackers due to the large amount of personal information they collect and store on their systems.
In the wake of this breach, the UNO has urged all students, faculty, and staff to be vigilant in monitoring their personal information and to report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities. The university has also emphasized the importance of strong password management practices and has provided guidance on how to create and maintain secure passwords.
In conclusion, the UNO data breach serves as a warning to all organizations about the importance of protecting sensitive data from cyber attacks. The breach has highlighted the need for organizations to have robust cybersecurity measures in place to prevent breaches from occurring and to respond quickly and effectively in the event of an attack.
Read more in the NOLA.com article which we are featured in here: Apparent cyberattacks hit 7 Louisiana colleges in 4 months: ‘I’m hoping it’s a wake up call
