Private information from around 1,400 University employees was accessed in a recent data breach, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
As a result of an extensive investigation which involved several other colleges and universities in the U.S., the FBI said the information was accessed as part of a “phishing” email scam, according to a news release from the University Office of Communications.
The email included a link asking for the network access system usernames and passwords. Once the information was obtained, the suspects were able to see W-2s for around 1,400 employees and direct deposit banking information for about 40 employees.
The data breach only affected employees working within the Academic Division, and did not impact the University Medical Center. The FBI currently has the suspects in custody, according to the news release.
The University has taken steps to fortify its systems to prevents data breaches like this in the future, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Hogan said in the news release.
“The security of personal information and data is a top priority of the University and our IT professionals will continue to remain vigilant and work to further enhance our IT security infrastructure and systems,” Hogan said.
All University employees whose information was accessed were notified by the University and have been offered one year of free credit monitoring and identity protection services.
This incident is unrelated to the data breach discovered in June 2015 that originated in China, according to the news release.
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