The Social Security numbers of about 5,300 former Pitt Community College students may have been exposed when a USB stick that was supposed to be delivered to a secure location was lost by the employee assigned to transport and store it.
The incident occurred on January 21, but the announcement was delayed until recently because the college needed to determine what data was lost so that officials would know who to notify.
Rick Owens, vice president of administrative services at the educational institution, told WITN that besides social security numbers, the storage device also contained other information such as full student names and addresses.
The individuals affected include those who took the GED exam at Pitt Community College since January 1, 1967. Students who took the exam after December 31, 2001 are not at risk of having their information exposed.
Owens believes the storage device was not stolen, as the problem occurred during the transition to a new computerized system where the data was converted from physical files to digital format. In the process, he speculates, the USB stickwas probably lost.
However, the students whose data may have been leaked are urged to check their bank accounts for attempts of possible fraud, and if they notice any suspicious activity, to report the incident immediately to the banks that hold their accounts.
