Georgia Institute of Technology Security Breach

Exploit: Unauthorized database access
The George Institute of Technology: Public research university based in Atlanta, Georgia
 

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Risk to Small Business: 1.555 = Severe: Hackers were able to infiltrate the Institute’s databases that were storing sensitive personal information on current and former students and employees. After identifying an unauthorized user sending queries through an Institute web server, Georgia Tech began an investigation and executed a few countermeasures to secure their ecosystem. Not only will Tech be on the hook for providing credit and identity monitoring services to affected individuals, but they will also deal with scrutiny from current students, employees, and even alumni.

high-risk-meter
Individual Risk: 2.285 = Severe: According to an official statement from Georgia Tech, the information accessed varies by individual, but it could include names, addresses, Institute ID numbers, dates of birth, and social security numbers. This breach could extend to students, faculty, staff, alumni, applicants, and affiliates. Anyone with ties to Georgia Tech should enroll in identity theft protection services and stay vigilant for potential compromises or fraud attempts.

Customers Impacted: 1,265
How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Failing to understand your organization’s threat landscape can have significant consequences in today’s digital environment. In this case, hackers had access to the university’s database for nearly four months, making it evident that their security standards were not adequate to address relevant threats. Particularly when your university is seen as a premier technological institution, failure in this regard is entirely preventable, embarrassing, and unacceptable.

Risk Levels:

1 - 1.5 = Extreme Risk
1.51 - 2.49 = Severe Risk
2.5 - 3 = Moderate Risk

*The risk score is calculated using a formula that considers a wide range of factors related to the assessed breach.


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