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Data Investigation Concluded
Story posted July 03, 2008
Following a thorough investigation, Bowdoin College has announced that there is no reason to believe that computer files left open on its network have been accessed or misused. The College is nevertheless notifying approximately 8,000 people in nearly two dozen states—including 1,000 people in Maine—of the potential data breach, providing details of exactly what happened and offering information about how to monitor and protect personal data that may have been temporarily accessible.
In early April 2008, the College learned that certain computer files on its network containing personal information about some Bowdoin students, employees, and possibly others were open and accessible to the campus community for some period of time. The files, which were not accessible off campus, were immediately secured. Bowdoin retained the services of an information technology security firm specializing in computer forensics and computer investigations to determine the extent of the problem and to assist the College in preventing a similar situation from occurring in the future. The two-month investigation concluded that there is no reason to believe that any of the information had been or is likely to be misused.
In addition to notifying nearly 8,000 people potentially affected by the temporary accessibility of certain data, the College has also notified the office of the Maine Attorney General and has posted a set of frequently asked questions about the incident on its Web site, including steps that can be taken to protect personal information now and in the future.