Penn State subjected to botnet breach
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06/02/2010
Nearly 16,000 social security numbers have been compromised after malware bypassed a computer's desktop security in the Outreach Market Research and Data office at Pennsylvania State University.
The hacked computer had maintained a database of social security numbers up until 2005, when the university stopped collecting them; however, a copy stayed on the computer unbeknown to officials.
In a statecollege.com report, Penn State University spokesman Geoff Rushton said that "many of the files were buried fairly deeply in the machines that they were on," and "in some cases, it appeared that the information had been deleted (beforehand) but not overwritten."
While there is no evidence that individuals tampered with any of the information, the university sent out letters today in compliance with state law to those whose numbers were on file to alert them of possible identity theft.
Penn State was subject to another botnet attack earlier this year, in which private information of more than 5,000 individuals may have been exposed. 
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