Posted On February 15, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
February 15, 2023 – Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) filed notice of a data breach with the Attorney General of Maine’s office on February 13, 2023 after discovering that they had been targeted by a ransomware attack that exposed confidential student information like names and Social Security numbers. After confirming the leak, XULA sent notification letters to all 44,312 individuals whose information had been compromised due to the data breach.
The data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. are actively investigating the Xavier University of Louisiana data breach. If you have received a breach notification and are interested in learning about the risks of identity theft and what you can do to protect yourself, we are offering free consultations where we can discuss your legal options for receiving compensation from XULA.
Xavier University of Louisiana is a private Catholic university that is one of many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The institution is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, with approximately 230 staff members and 3,400 students, roughly 75% of whom are African American or Black. XULA offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
According to its filing with the Attorney General of Maine, Xavier University of Louisiana discovered a disruption in the college’s computer network on November 22, 2022. The school did not release further information about the details of the incident. XULA launched an investigation with the aid of cybersecurity specialists to determine the scope of the information leaked.
XULA determined on January 24, 2023 that there had been a data breach and that student and vendor information had been compromised. Though information accessed varies by individual, students’ names and Social Security numbers were compromised.
On February 13, 2023, Xavier University of Louisiana sent data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information had been involved in the leak.
If you received a notification letter from Xavier University of Louisiana about the data breach, your information, like your name and Social Security numbers, may now be in the hands of hackers.
We’ve compiled a list of things you should do as soon as you receive notification that your personal information has been leaked. The list is not comprehensive, and you may want to take additional steps.
If your information was leaked in the security incident, XULA will send you a letter with pertinent information, such as how the information was accessed, what the company is doing to protect confidential information in the future, and whether anyone affected has been the victim of identity theft or fraud.
Hackers won’t typically wait long to use the stolen information once it is in their hands. They don’t want to give people time to close and freeze their accounts. But sometimes, they need additional information to commit their crimes, so they may hold onto the information for weeks or even months before using it. You should continue to monitor your information for a while after your information was leaked and be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
Fraud alerts and credit freezes are free services provided by major credit bureaus. A fraud alert will alert companies checking your credit that someone could be trying to commit fraud with your information. A credit freeze will stop companies from checking your credit without prior approval.
XULA has offered victims of the breach free credit monitoring services. Credit monitoring will alert you to any suspicious activity on your financial accounts and usually involves a monthly fee. Enrolling in the free service allows you to be on top of your accounts in this precarious situation. Taking advantage of this service will not disqualify you from pursuing a data breach lawsuit against Xavier University of Louisiana.
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 Xavier University of Louisiana 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.
Below is a portion of the letter sent to affected individuals:
Dear [Redacted],
I am writing to inform you of a recent data security incident experienced by Xavier University of Louisiana (“Xavier”) that may have affected your personal information. Xavier takes the privacy and security of all personal information within its possession very seriously. This is why we are informing you of the incident, providing you with steps you can take to help protect your personal information, and offering you complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services.
What Happened. On November 22, 2022, Xavier experienced a network disruption and immediately began investigating the matter. Xavier engaged cybersecurity experts to assist with the process and on January 24, 2023 the investigation determined that your personal information may have been acquired without authorization during the incident.
What Information Was Involved. The incident may have involved your name and Social Security number.
What We Are Doing. As soon as Xavier discovered this incident, we took the steps described above. Xavier also implemented measures to enhance network security and minimize the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future. Xavier also notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation and will provide whatever cooperation is necessary to hold the perpetrator(s) accountable. Xavier is also offering you complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services through membership in Experian’s® IdentityWorksSM. This product provides you with superior identity detection and resolution of identity theft.
What You Can Do. You can follow the recommendations on the following page to help protect your personal information. Xavier also encourages you to enroll in the complementary services being offered to you through membership of Experian’s® IdentityWorksSM. These services include credit monitoring, identity restoration, and up to $1 million identity theft insurance.* To activate your membership and start monitoring your personal information please follow the steps below:
Ensure that you enroll by: April 30, 2023 (Your code will not work after this date.)
Visit the Experian IdentityWorks website to enroll: [Redacted]
Provide your activation code: [Redacted]
If you have questions about the product, need assistance with identity restoration or would like an alternative to enrolling in Experian IdentityWorks online, please contact Experian’s customer care team at (800) 456-3166 by April 30, 2023. Be prepared to provide engagement number [Redacted] as proof of eligibility for the identity restoration services by Experian.
For More Information. If you have questions or need assistance, please call Experian IdentityWorks at (800) 456-3166 from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. CST, Saturday and Sunday (excluding major U.S. holidays). Experian IdentityWorks representatives are fully versed on this incident and can answer any questions you may have regarding the protection of your information.
