On January 26, 2023, Stratford University filed notice of a data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after the institution learned that it was the victim of a ransomware account that compromised confidential student and employee information. Based on the company’s official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ first and last names, phone numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, dates of birth, student identification numbers, passport numbers, and Social Security numbers. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, Stratford began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.
If you receive a data breach letter from Stratford University, it means that your Social Security number was leaked in the recent ransomware attack. As we’ve discussed in prior blog posts, this greatly increases the likelihood that you will become the victim of identity theft or other frauds. However, as a data breach victim, there are steps you can take to limit these risks. Additionally, you have rights, including the right to pursue a data breach lawsuit against any organization that negligently leaks your information.
What We Know So Far About the Stratford University Breach
The available information regarding the Stratford University breach comes from the company’s filing with the Maine Attorney General’s office. According to this source, on around August 27, 2022, Stratford discovered that it was the recent victim of a ransomware attack impacting its computer system. Upon discovery, Stratford retained legal counsel and began working with a third-party forensics firm to assist with the school’s investigation.
On November 11, 2022, Stratford confirmed that on around August 26, 2022, an unauthorized party accessed the school’s computer system and obtained certain information, including employee and student data.
Upon discovering that sensitive student and employee data was made available to an unauthorized party, Stratford University began to review the affected files to determine what information was compromised and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your first and last name, phone number, address, e-mail address, date of birth, student identification number, passport number, and Social Security number.
On January 26, 2023, Stratford University sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident. According to the Attorney General of Maine, the Stratford University data breach affected the personal information of 78,692 individuals.
More Information About Stratford University
Founded in 1976, Stratford University is a four-year college located in Alexandria, Virginia, with campuses in Virginia, Maryland, and India. Stratford University’s student body averages around 1,240 undergraduates and 137 post-graduates. Stratford University employs more than 641 people and generates approximately $75 million in annual revenue.
