A journalist investigates how their Social Security number was exposed in Columbia University's data breach despite having no connection to the institution. The breach, which affected 1.8 million SSNs, was initially thought to only impact the Columbia community, but victims include people with no affiliation to the university. The article reveals systemic issues with data handling and third-party data collection practices that put unrelated individuals at risk.
Background
Columbia University suffered a major data breach in 2023 that exposed 1.8 million Social Security numbers, initially believed to only affect university affiliates. The incident highlights growing concerns about third-party data collection and protection practices.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Jun 4, 2026 at 09:48 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10