Frequently Asked Questions

Updated 4-09-2008

Toll Free Hotline at 1-866-905-2288

On February 13, 2008, a security incident occurred on one of Antioch University’s computer systems. The University responded aggressively and immediately contacted forensic software investigators to examine its computer system. A Toll Free Hotline at 1-866-905-2288 has been set up to assist you with answers to any questions or concerns regarding this data security intrusion.

What happened?
Evidence indicates that the computer system's security was breached on three separate occasions, June 9, 2007; June 10, 2007; and October 11, 2007. There was no evidence found that the intruder actually acquired, viewed, copied or otherwise misappropriated any personal information and we are not aware of a single report of identity theft as a result of the intrusions.

Notice to Maryland residents: If you live in Maryland, you may contact the Maryland Office of the Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission at the following offices for information on how to prevent identity theft:

Maryland Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
1-888-743-0023
www.oag.state.md.us

Federal Trade Commission:
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20580
1-877-ID-THEFT or 1-877-438-4338
www.ftc.gov/idtheft

I believe my information has been breached and I am working with my bank. Do I call your hot line to report it to you?

If you feel our information has been breached, you must report it to the authorities in the jourisdiction in which the breach occured. For example, if you live in Chicago and the breach occured in the Chicago area, you must report it to the Chicago authorities.

Whose information was on the computer?
The system contained personal information on current and former students as well as current and former employees going back to 1996 when the system was first implemented. The system also contained information on people who applied to Antioch even if they never attended and information on vendors if they gave their Social Security Numbers in order to be paid.

What personal information was stored on the computer?
The system contained people's names, addresses, telephone numbers, and social security numbers. For students and former students it also contained academic records and for employees and former employees it contained payroll records.

If my information was on the computer, does this mean that I'm a victim of identity theft?
No. We have no evidence that the intruder actually misappropriated anyone's personal information and we are not aware of any reports of identity theft as a result of the intrusions.

What can I do to ensure that my personal information isn't being misused?
The best way to protect yourself is to review your credit reports, which you can obtain from one of three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. You are entitled to one free report per year. If you notice accounts on your credit report that you did not open or applications for credit ("inquiries") that you did not make, these could be indications that someone else is using your personal information, without your permission. Please visit http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft for more information.

What are you doing to prevent this in the future?
When we became aware of the problem we took the server off line. We've shut down the vulnerability that allowed the intrusion to take place and we are initiating a complete review of the security on the affected system to ensure there are no other vulnerabilities.

Who should I contact if I still have questions?
We have set up a toll free number at 866-905-2288 EST to assist you with answers to any questions or concerns. The line is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until May 30, 2008.