News Release| Incident Report; Cal State L.A.

March 16, 2010

Computer theft at Cal State L.A. prompts notification to former students

A computer stolen from math department
may include names, grades and SSNs of 232

Los Angeles, CA – A computer stolen Feb. 22 from a faculty office in Cal State L.A.’s Department of Mathematics may have contained confidential information of 232 former CSULA students, according to University officials.

The computer’s files may include names, Social Security numbers and grades of individuals who were enrolled in the following:

  •          Math 100, 325 and 474 in summer 1999;
  •          Math 472 and Computer Science 270 in winter 2000;
  •          Math 207, 208 and 521 in fall 2001;
  •          Math 270 in winter 2002;
  •          Math 248 and 310 in spring 2002;
  •          Math 310 in spring 2003; and
  •          Math 474 in fall 2005.

In a March 15 letter, James Henderson, dean of Cal State L.A.’s College of Natural and Social Sciences, notified the former students 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 may be on the stolen computer, the risk includes fraud and identity theft.”

The letter provides information on generating fraud alerts through credit agencies along with resources regarding identity theft. It cautions its recipients to be wary of individuals who may call purporting to represent the University seeking confidential information. Any suspicious activity should be reported by the individual to a local law enforcement agency after notifying the credit bureaus.

Additional information about the incident, including the notification letter, is at this web site: /security/101026/index.html.

The University is conducting a thorough investigation of this incident and taking action to guard against future information incidents.

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