On March 22, 2024, Lewis & Clark College (“Lewis & Clark”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after discovering that an unauthorized party had gained access to its computer network. In this notice, Lewis & Clark College explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access students’ sensitive information, which includes their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state identification numbers, passports, financial account information, medical information, and health insurance information. Upon completing its investigation, Lewis & Clark College 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 Lewis & Clark 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 Lewis & Clark College data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Lewis & Clark College Data Breach?

The Lewis & Clark College data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, Lewis & Clark College’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on March 3, 2023, Lewis & Clark detected unauthorized access within its computer network. In response, Lewis & Clark secured its system and then launched an investigation with the help of external cybersecurity experts.

The Lewis & Clark investigation ultimately confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to access its computer system and remove data on February 28, 2023, including confidential student data.

After learning that sensitive student data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Lewis & Clark College reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which students were impacted. Lewis & Clark College completed this process on February 24, 2024. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license or state identification number, passport, financial account information, medical information, and health insurance information.

On March 22, 2024, Lewis & Clark 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 Lewis & Clark College

Lewis & Clark College is a private college located in Portland, Oregon. Lewis & Clark is comprised of three schools: the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Education and Counseling, and the School of Law. Together, the entire Lewis & Clark student body is made up of approximately 2,100 undergraduate students and 1,400 graduate students. Lewis & Clark College employs more than 524 people and generates approximately $100 million in annual revenue.