The University has contacted thousands of alumni via e-mail over the past few weeks over fears that their personal information may have been compromised.
Several university computers containing old student records, including Social Security numbers (SSNs) and other personal information, were recently exposed to a virus that could potentially transmit that information over the Internet, according to a June 9 Boston Globe article.
Director of Public Relations Kim Thurler told the Daily that six machines were compromised. The process of discovery was not immediate, however; while some computers were first discovered in February, it was not until March that the full extent of the problem became known.
Thurler said that the computers in question were affected independently, and not as the result of a single security breach.
Despite concerns, Thurler told the Globe that there is so far "[no] direct evidence of any unauthorized use of personal information," and that the warnings to alumni serve as a precautionary measure.
Tufts is offering affected alumni a free one-year subscription to a credit monitoring service in order to safeguard against identity theft. The service "monitors information at the three major credit bureaus and alerts individuals to any suspicious activity," like a sudden change of address or credit status inquiry, Thurler said.
In the past, the university used SSNs as student identification numbers, but abandoned the practice in 2005 in favor of dedicated ID numbers, Thurler said.
