Burglary theft of computers at Cal State L.A.
14 computers taken from the MORE Programs office
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:
http://www.calstatela.edu/security/091023.
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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
prompts notification to science students
include names and SSNs of 613
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