Breach, Data Security

Seattle University donor checks possibly exposed due to settings error

Seattle University is notifying an undisclosed number of donors that incorrect permission settings on an internal drive made it possible for anyone with a Seattle University computer account to view scanned checks, without authorization.

How many victims? Undisclosed. 

What type of personal information? Names, bank routing numbers and checking account numbers.

What happened? Incorrect permission settings on an internal drive made it possible for anyone with a Seattle University computer account to view the information.

What was the response? Seattle University corrected the permission settings and implemented additional safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.  

Details: Seattle University was made aware of the incident on May 25.

Quote: “Although I have been assured that there is no evidence to suggest any attempted or actual misuse of the information on your personal check,…we are notifying you out of an abundance of caution,” Michael Podlin, VP of University Advancement, wrote in the notification.

Source: doj.nh.gov, “Seattle University – Incident Notification,” July 17, 2014.

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