UCLA notifies 800,000 of personal data hack
The University of California, Los Angeles alerted 800,000 people today that their personal information may have been compromised after discovering that hackers have been exploiting an undetected security hole in a database for more than a year.
The database contains personal information about current and former students, faculty and staff, applicants and parents of students or applicants who applied for financial aid.
UCLA discovered the breach on Nov. 21 and immediately blocked access to Social Security numbers stored in the database. It also notified the FBI, which is conducting an investigation on the incident.
"In spite of our diligence, a sophisticated hacker found and exploited a subtle vulnerability in one of hundreds of applications," said Jim Davis, UCLA's chief information officer and associate vice chancellor for information technology.
"We deeply regret the concern and inconvenience caused by this illegal activity. We have reconstructed and protected the compromised database and launched a comprehensive review of all computer security measures to accelerate systematic enhancements that were already in progress."
