On December 28, 2023, Bunker Hill Community College (“BHCC”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Massachusetts after discovering what the organization believes to have been a ransomware attack. In this notice, BHCC explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, state identification numbers, passport numbers, financial account information, credit & debit card numbers, usernames & passwords, medical information, and health insurance information. Upon completing its investigation, BHCC began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Bunker Hill Community College, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Bunker Hill Community College data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Bunker Hill Community College Data Breach?

The Bunker Hill Community College data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected soon. However, BHCC’s filing with the Attorney General of Massachusetts provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on May 23, 2023, BHCC identified unusual activity within portions of its computer network that appeared to be consistent with a ransomware attack.

In response, BHCC took the affected systems offline, notified law enforcement, and began working with third-party data security specialists to investigate the incident. Through these efforts, BHCC was able to limit the scope of the attack and quickly bring its network back online. However, the BHCC investigation determined that an unauthorized actor gained access to BHCC’s network before launching the ransomware attack. As a result, the unauthorized actor was able to access and acquire certain files containing confidential student information.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Bunker Hill Community College reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, state identification number, passport number, financial account information, credit & debit card number, username and password, medical information, and health insurance information.

On December 28, 2023, Bunker Hill Community College sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Bunker Hill Community College

Founded in 1973, Bunker Hill Community College is a public community college located in Boston, Massachusetts. BHCC is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling an average of approximately 13,000 students per year. Bunker Hill Community College employs more than 748 people and generates approximately $69 million in annual revenue.