Data breach at university being taken ‘very seriously’

3 May 2022, 15:04

A man looks upset as he looks at a laptop
Cyber bullying stock. Picture: PA

An accidentally emailed spreadsheet contained student IDs, dates of birth and contact details, Hayes Connor said.

A data breach affecting more than 400 students at the University of Essex is being treated “very seriously”, the institution said.

Law firm Hayes Connor, which is representing some of those affected, said an email from an external partner of the university accidentally included a spreadsheet containing personal information.

The message from facilities management was to request payment for repairs to a broken door at an accommodation block and was sent on March 23.

The spreadsheet contained more than 400 residents’ information, including student IDs, dates of birth and contact details, Hayes Connor said.

Christine Sabino, the legal specialist at Hayes Connor representing those affected, said it was a “particularly worrying” data breach.

“The spreadsheet included on this email contained all kinds of crucial data on hundreds of people, so the seriousness of the issue should not be downplayed,” she said.

“Through our work, we have seen how breaches of this kind can have a big impact on those affected.

“It should also be remembered that many of the individuals involved here are young adults living away from home for the first time.

“Some may be very worried about this or unsure what to do next.

“The individuals we have spoken to are desperate to know how this happened.
“They are also keen to understand what is being done to prevent more issues in the future.

“When individuals provide data to organisations of any kind, they trust that the information will be handled in a secure and proper manner.

“Issues like this only serve to undermine that trust, so we are determined to help our clients get the answers they deserve.”

A University of Essex spokesman said: “We are taking this issue very seriously and ensuring our delivery partners understand our high expectations about the management of data.

“We’ve contacted all individuals involved to offer advice and support.”

By Press Association

More Technology News

See more More Technology News

A laptop

Millions of older people being cut off by lack of basic internet skills – Age UK

A computer screen

Leading AI figures awarded honours

AI warning

Essays written with ChatGPT feature repetition of words and ideas – study

A broadband router

Big four broadband firms beaten by smaller rivals in latest Which? survey

A person pressing on the Tik Tok logo on the screen of a smartphone

TikTok to launch online election centres to counter misinformation

A person using a laptop

Up to eight million UK jobs at risk from AI, report says

Smartphone showing apps

One in six adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, global study finds

An Uber Eats driver

Uber Eats driver wins payout over discriminatory facial recognition checks

Rishi Sunak visits Cumbria

Sunak says UK ‘more robust’ on China than most allies

Chinese President state visit – Preparations

Minister calls China ‘security threat’ after UK and US blame Beijing for hacking

China

UK and US accuse China of ‘malicious’ global cyber attacks

A hand on a laptop

Tougher action needed to combat copycat banking websites, says Which?

Dowden

Dowden guarantees UK elections will be safe from Chinese cyber attacks

A woman’s hand pressing a key of a laptop keyboard

Cyber security agency says China behind ‘malicious’ cyber attacks on UK

A young girl uses the TikTok app on a smartphone

TikTok Youth Council holds first meetings on better online safety for teenagers

Margrethe Vestager

EU opens competition investigations into Apple, Google and Meta