Posted On April 8, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
April 8 – Prescott College discovered that an unauthorized third party had accessed and deleted some files stored on its computer system, prompting the college to submit a data breach report to the Maine Attorney General on April 5, 2023. According to the company’s filing, the data includes personal information that could compromise the safety of some students and staff at Prescott College. Once it was determined that customer information had been compromised, Prescott immediately began notifying those whose personal information had been compromised.
It is crucial that you know what is at stake if you get a data breach notification. Console & Associates, P.C., data breach lawyers that represent victims of data breaches, are currently looking into the Prescott College hack on behalf of those whose personal information may have been compromised. Those who have been affected by this breach and would like to discuss the potential consequences of identity theft, preventative measures they can take, and potential legal recourse they may have against Prescott College are invited to schedule a free consultation with us as part of this investigation.
There are four different types of programs available at Prescott College, a private, four-year institution in Prescott, Arizona. These include a Resident Undergraduate Program, a Limited-Residency Undergraduate Program, a Resident Master’s Program, and a Limited-Residency Doctoral Program in Sustainability Education. The institution opened its doors in 1966, and today it serves a student body of over 840. More than 135 individuals are employed at Prescott College, and the institution brings in about $15 million each year.
Prescott College has discovered suspicious behavior within its IT system, as reported by the company to the Maine Attorney General. The school took immediate action by locking down its network, notifying authorities, and bringing in cybersecurity experts to help investigate the situation and identify any potentially compromised student or staff information.
Prescott College’s investigation revealed that the hacker obtained access to the school’s network on October 26, 2022, and remained there until October 29, 2022, when it was shut down. The inquiry also discovered that the unauthorized party gained access to files containing sensitive information housed on its computer system.
Prescott College immediately began reviewing the affected files to determine what information was compromised and how many customers were affected after learning that sensitive customer data had been made available to an unauthorized entity. This procedure was finalized by the institution on March 9, 2023. Your name, driver’s license number, and other personal information may be among the compromised data.
Prescott College notified anyone whose personal information was compromised in the recent data security incident by letter on April 5, 2023.
A data breach can result in legal action against a school just as it would against a business, nonprofit, or government agency. The breach must have been the direct result of the school’s negligence in handling student data before the school may be held responsible for the breach. Individuals who have been harmed must also prove that the breach was brought about in whole or in part by the school’s carelessness.
Millions of Americans are affected by data breaches every year, and many of them become victims of identity theft or other crimes. The time it takes to recover from identity theft might vary greatly, but it can take hundreds of hours on average. However, in more intricate situations, this number can skyrocket.
Naturally, no educational institution wants to suffer a data breach, and obviously, no institution bears sole responsibility for a breach. University data breaches typically occur when hackers aim their attacks at a specific institution. These cybercriminals carry out elaborate hoaxes and attacks on computer systems in order to get access. Schools that stay current on data privacy problems and implement effective data security mechanisms can prevent most breaches and rapidly notice those they miss.
A data breach can be caused or exacerbated by a school’s negligence in a number of different ways. A university could be held responsible for a data breach if, for instance, its personnel fail to take reasonable precautions when maintaining student data, such as encrypting files holding sensitive student information. The university might be held responsible if a staff member falls for a phishing email and provides hackers with access to sensitive student information or login credentials.
Of course, these are only a few examples of possible negligent behavior on the part of a school or institution that could have contributed to a data breach. It can be extremely challenging, if not impossible, for affected students to identify what led to a data breach, which can make it extremely challenging to determine whether a student has a claim. Data breach attorneys are currently looking into the recent breach to find legal remedies for victims.
The consumer privacy lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. help customers affected by data and security breaches pursue legal solutions by offering free consultations. By explaining your rights in clear, concise terms, we help you make an informed decision about your next steps. If you are a victim of the Prescott College data breach, Console & Associates, P.C. will investigate at no charge to you and offer advice on how to proceed. If you decide to pursue a case, rest assured that we don’t get paid unless you do. If your claim is successful, legal fees are either paid out of the funds recovered or by the defendant. If your claim is not successful, you pay nothing.
To schedule your free consultation, just call (866) 778-5500 today or fill out our secure contact form.
