Burglary theft of computers at Cal State L.A. prompts notification to science students
14 computers taken from the MORE Programs office
include names and SSNs of 613
Los Angeles, CA – Two desktop and 12 laptop computers stolen Aug. 1 from a science office at Cal State L.A. contained confidential information of 613 individuals associated the University’s Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE) Programs, including 605 former and prospective students and eight faculty members, according to University officials.
The computers’ files included individuals’ names, Social Security numbers and addresses. In an Aug. 10 letter, James Henderson, dean of Cal State L.A.’s College of Natural and Social Sciences, notified the MORE students and faculty members of the incident. A toll-free call center – at 1-800-883-4029 – has been established to provide information.
“We have no way of knowing if anyone targeted the confidential information on the stolen computer or will use it for any unlawful purpose; however, this incident may potentially have serious ramifications,” Henderson wrote. “For those whose information was stored on the stolen computer, the risk includes fraud and identity theft.”
The letter provided information on generating fraud alerts through credit agencies and resources regarding identity theft. It cautioned its recipients to be wary of individuals who may call purporting to represent the University seeking confidential information.
According to the University Police Department, the suspect(s) broke a window to enter the MORE office, which is on the fifth floor of the Physical Sciences building. The UPD investigation is continuing.
MORE is funded by grants from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health, and by the National Science Foundation (NSF). These agencies require progress reports that can include Social Security numbers.
Additional information about the incident, including the notification letter, can be found at this web site: /security/091023/.
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Working for Californiaa since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 210,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to a unique university center for gifted students as young as 12. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH- and Rockefeller-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu