UNC cancer center servers attacked to expose info of 3.5K

Attackers compromised the servers of a North Carolina cancer center to expose the sensitive information of thousands of employees, educators and contractors.  

How many victims? About 3,500, mostly employees, contractors and visiting lecturers.

What type of personal information? Social Security and passport numbers.

What happened? In May, it was discovered that two servers at the Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center were hacked. They contained administrative files.

What was the response? After the incident was discovered, the health care facility took immediate steps to secure the data on the servers, but waited until late December, more than six months later, to notify those affected by letter. Officials cited an ongoing investigation as reason for the delay.

Quote: “Despite our investigation, however, we are unable to say for sure whether your personal information was accessed by an unauthorized person as a result of this incident,” Shelley Earp, the center's director, wrote in a letter dated Dec. 26. “Even if your personal information was accessed, we have no way to know whether it has been or will be misused.”

Source: www.chapelhillnews.com, The Chapel Hill News, “UNC cancer center computers hacked,” Jan. 4, 2013.