On November 8, 2022, Mercyhurst University reported a data breach with the Maine Attorney General after the school learned that an unauthorized party was able to access sensitive information belonging to certain students and faculty members. According to Mercyhurst, the breach resulted in the names and Social Security numbers of affected parties being compromised. Recently, Mercyhurst sent out data breach letters to all affected parties, informing them of the incident and what they can do to protect themselves from identity theft and other frauds.

If you are a student or faculty member of Mercyhurst University, it is possible that your information was leaked in the recent data breach. As we’ve discussed in prior posts, data breach victims face a much higher risk of being targeted for identity theft or other frauds. Depending on the extent of the fraud, victims often end up spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours resolving these issues. However, data breach victims have rights, including the right to pursue a claim against any organization that negligently fails to protect their information.

What Led Up to the Mercyhurst University Data Breach

The available information regarding the Mercyhurst University breach comes from the company’s filing with the Maine Attorney General’s Office. According to this source, Mercyhurst University detected suspicious activity within its computer system earlier this year. In response, the school launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident and to determine whether any student or faculty information was compromised as a result.

The Mercyhurst investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to access the school’s computer network between January 16, 2022 and May 15, 2022. It was also determined that the unauthorized party was able to access files containing confidential information pertaining to certain students and faculty members.

Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Mercyhurst University began to review the affected files to determine what information was compromised and which consumers were impacted. The school completed this review on September 16, 2022. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name and Social Security number.

On November 8, 2022, Mercyhurst University sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

Founded in 1926, Mercyhurst University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Erie, Pennsylvania. The school offers 4-year bachelor, 2-year associate, and 1-year certificate programs in a variety of traditional subjects. Current enrollment at Mercyhurst University is approximately 2,800, and the school’s faculty consists of 126 full-time staff members. Mercyhurst University employs more than 668 people in total and generates approximately $148 million in annual revenue.