Turke & Strauss LLP, a leading data breach law firm, is investigating Washington State University regarding its recent data breach. The Washington State University data breach involved sensitive personal identifiable information belonging to an undetermined number of individuals.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY:
Washington State University is a higher education institution located in Pullman and Spokane, Washington. As a research university, Washington State University offers both undergraduate and graduate programs with over 95 majors, 79 masters, and 63 doctoral programs. Washington State University is known for its college of veterinary medicine as well as its business, management, and marketing degrees. Ranked in the top 250 universities in the United States, Washington State University has an 85% acceptance rate and enrolls approximately 3,000 students. Washington State University has an average tuition of $12,500 for in-state and $28,000 for out-of-state and an endowment of $1.29 billion.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Recently, Washington State University discovered that National Student Clearinghouse, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, and UnitedHealthcare, three third-party venders used by the Washington State University, experienced data breaches in which the sensitive personal identifiable information of Washington State University students may have been accessed. Through its investigation, Washington State University determined that an unauthorized actor may have accessed this sensitive information through a vulnerability in the MOVEit file transfer application between May 29 and May 31, 2023. On July 12, 2023, Washington State University posted a notice of the data breach on its website. That website notice states that Washington State University expects that National Student Clearinghouse, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, and UnitedHealthcare will contact impacted individuals directly. The type of information exposed includes:
- Name
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Address
If you received a breach notification letter from Washington State University, National Student Clearinghouse, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, or UnitedHealthcare:
We would like to speak with you about your rights and potential legal remedies in response to this data breach. Please fill out the form, below, or contact us at (608) 237-1775 or sam@turkestrauss.com.
If you were impacted by the Washington State University data breach, you may consider taking the following steps to protect your personal information.
- Carefully review any breach notice and retain a copy;
- Enroll in any free credit monitoring services;
- Change passwords and security questions for online accounts;
- Regularly review account statements for signs of fraud or unauthorized activity;
- Monitor credit reports for signs of identity theft; and
- Contact a credit bureau(s) to request a temporary fraud alert.