Hackers Steal Personal Data from UT Austin Computer System
Hackers have obtained the names and Social Security numbers of about 59,000 current and former students, faculty members and staff at the University of Texas at Austin in another large case of potential identity theft. Authorities do not know whether the information has been put to illegal uses such as obtaining credit cards or withdrawing money from financial accounts. The theft illustrates the problem with centralized databases, poor security measures, and ultimately the poor information practices of UT Austin, which needlessly uses the SSN as a unique identifier to link student records.
Hackers steal vital data about UT students, staff Austin American Statesman, March 6, 2003
