Former Student and Former Employee Sue School
A recent lawsuit has been lodged against the University of Minnesota, alleging the institution’s failure to adequately safeguard personal information during a data breach.
The plaintiffs, a former student and employee of the university, are represented by attorneys who argue that the university had the means to prevent the breach, as reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Jake Ricker, a spokesperson for the university, declined to comment on the lawsuit. However, he emphasized via email that the safety and privacy of all members of the university community remain a top priority.
The university, after being probed by the Star Tribune, admitted last week that they were alerted on July 21 about a potential breach. An unauthorized party claimed to have sensitive data allegedly extracted from the university’s systems.
No Disclosure About Breach
The university, however, did not disclose how it became aware of the potential breach. On the same day, Cyber Express, a news outlet specializing in cybersecurity, published a story about a hacker who claimed to have access to approximately 7 million Social Security numbers dating back to 1989. The hacker reportedly infiltrated the university’s data warehouse to study the impact of affirmative action in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited the consideration of race in college admissions.
The report did not mention whether the hacker made any demands from the university. Jeff Ettinger, the university’s interim president, expressed skepticism about the hacker’s claims, questioning the veracity of the allegations. The FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension have launched investigations into the matter.
Recent Suits Netting Big Dollars for Plaintiffs
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Geoff Dittberner, a former student and government relations office assistant at the university, and Mary Wint, a former university nutrition educator and patient of its healthcare system. The attorneys are seeking to elevate the lawsuit to class-action status. The lawsuit alleges that the university violated the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. However, it does not specify the amount of compensation being sought by the plaintiffs.
This case adds to the growing list of lawsuits related to data breaches, with companies like Rackspace and SolarWinds also facing legal action for similar incidents. SolarWinds recently agreed to a $26 million settlement in a shareholder lawsuit over a data breach.
