Information Security Notice - Frequently Asked Questions

On July 31, 2008, we learned of an internal data disclosure of students who were enrolled in distance education courses in the Spring 2008 semester. Ivy Tech Community College is notifying the affected individuals so that they may carefully monitor their  records for any possible fraudulent activity, in case someone accessed the data with malicious intent. We deeply regret this situation and any inconvenience or alarm it may cause. 

Q.	I received a letter about a data incident which may have exposed my Social Security Number. Does that mean someone stole my identity?
	A.	No. Because there was the potential that someone with malicious intent may have viewed the data, Ivy Tech has taken the precautionary measure of distributing an advisory to the individual whose information was in the file, so that they can take appropriate steps.
Q.	Can you explain what personal information was involved?
	A.	The file contained name, address, and social security number.
Q.	Has anyone reported any identity theft due to this incident?
	A.	Thus far, Ivy Tech has not received any reports of fraud related to this incident.
Q.	Exactly what did your investigation reveal?
	A.	The data of distance education students enrolled during the Spring 2008 semester was exposed using an internal file sharing application. No more than 102 employees and student employees had access to the file containing the student data, during the last week of July 2008. Once the exposure was discovered the file was immediately deleted.
Q.	What steps can I take to protect myself?
	A.	Every consumer, whether or not their data has been involved in a security breach, can receive one free report every twelve months from each of the three national credit bureaus. In fact, it is a good practice for all consumers to order a free credit report from one of the three credit bureaus every four months, in order to continually monitor your accounts every year. For more information on free credit reports, see http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft. You may order your free credit reports online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com or by phone at 1-877-332-8228.
Q.	Should I contact the Social Security Administration and change my Social Security number?
	A.	The Social Security Administration very rarely changes a person’s Social Security number. The possibility that someone may have had access to your Social Security number would probably not be viewed as justification for such a change. For more information, the Social Security Administration web site is available at: http://www.ssa.gov.
Q.	Should I request a fraud alert with the national credit bureaus?
	A.	Individuals who Social Security number was involved in an incident may consider requesting a fraud alert on their credit bureau records. A fraud alert is a message that credit issuers receive when someone applies for new credit in your name. The message tells creditors that there is possible fraud associated with the account and gives them a phone number to call (yours) before issuing new credit. You can contact the fraud department at any one of the three major credit bureaus:
		Request a free credit report:  https://www.annualcreditreport.com  Trans Union:  1-800-680-7289  http://www.transunion.com  Experian:  1-888-397-3742  http://www.experian.com Equifax:  1-800-525-6285  http://www.equifax.com
		As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts. You should be aware that a fraud alert may make it more difficult for you to obtain credit or process financial transactions. While it will not affect your credit, it will slow down the credit application process.