Picking a College? Consider How Secure Your Information Is

11/1/12

This is the time of year where college applications are flying all around. Not only are you soon to be entrusting your child to their chosen institution of higher education, but you are also relying on that institution to keep your information guarded and safe.

So maybe before your child has selected a college you should do a bit of research of your own. Go past educational excellence and look at how safe your child and ultimately your information is. What am I alluding to? DATA BREACHES. That’s right! Here in the 21st century, the age of technology, this should be a huge concern for parents. We understand that Identity theft happens to someone else right? Well to everyone else, that someone is you or worse your child.

Institutions of higher education have always been in the cross hairs of hackers. Why, you ask? It is simple! Who has more information on you than a school you attended? Think about it. You give them your social security number, driver’s license number, date of birth, and bank account information to have your child’s student loan money direct deposited AND your account info is on all parent plus loans.  Sorry if this is hitting a bit close to home, but it is time to take the blinders off to what type of attacks schools face.

After the University of Nebraska data breach, SequrID was interviewed and during the interview by Channel 8 news, a UNL student said. “I don’t think that I am that awesome that someone would want my identity.”  That is just the mentality that hackers and ID thieves are looking for!

A freshman at Vanderbilt who applied for a credit card got denied so she applied again later and was again denied. So Olivia McNamara did a bit of digging and found out she owed $1.5 million in debt.   ABC News found this young student very interesting.

Here are some colleges that have suffered data breach just in October alone.

October 12, Northwestern Florida State

October 10, University of Chicago

October 8, Get ready…..Ohio State University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, Princeton University, John Hopkins University, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Houston, New York University, University of Maryland.  Oh wait there is more…  The University of Texas, University of Colorado, Duke University, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Florida, Texas A&M University, Boston University, Purdue University, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Utah, and additional universities were affected.  Over 53 universities were hit worldwide in one day.

Do not forget about the University of Nebraska system data breach. It wasn’t just UNL. It was UNL, UNO, UNMC, Peru State, Chadron and Wayne State. So don’t think just because this is the good life that we are immune to this plague.

As a parent, give us a call to find out what questions to ask as you interview colleges or better yet, ask about our identity theft product.

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If you would like more information, or you think someone might have stolen your identity and you would like more information. You can contact our office, here in Lincoln, located on 1135 M Street Suite 210. You may also call (402) 405-0438 or email us at info@sequrid.com

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