💻 New Jersey City University reported a data breach in June 2024

💻 Personal and financial data of students and employees was stolen

💻 This data was offered for sale on the Darknet

Highly sensitive personal and financial information of New Jersey City University students and staff has been published on the dark web.

This data is now offered to the highest bidder and could be used by criminals for identity theft and other purposes.

The Jersey Journal was the first newspaper to publish screenshots of data on the dark web, including names of students and staff, social security numbers and even photos of individual driver’s licenses.

Hackers gained access to NJCU’s computer system in early June, but the university did not begin notifying students and staff about the breach until a month later.

The organization behind the cyberattack had demanded $700,000 in Bitcoin and threatened to publish the stolen personal data if they did not receive the money.

Apparently Random was not paid and the hackers made good on their threat.

New Jersey City University less than expected

NJCU has nearly 6,000 students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs and hundreds of employees, but it is unclear how many of them had their data stolen.

The school administration showed little receptivity to the data breach and reacted slowly to the threat.

They refused to explain why they waited so long to announce the hacking attack, saying only that they could not do so while their investigation into the incident was still ongoing.

NJCU has also promised to set up a hotline where students and staff can get more information and access credit monitoring, but the number to call has not yet been announced.

They insist that they have signed a contract with one of the major credit reporting agencies to help those affected, but refuse to provide details.

How do I know if my data has been compromised?

✔ In addition to the notification from New Jersey City University, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission recommends that you:

✔ Keep track of what bills you owe and when they are due. If you stop receiving bills, it could be a sign that someone has changed your billing address.

✔ Check your bills. Bills for things you didn’t buy could be a sign of identity theft. The same goes for a new bill you weren’t expecting.

✔ Check your bank statement. Withdrawals you did not make could be a sign of identity theft.

✔ Get and check your credit reports. Accounts in your name that you don’t recognize could be a sign of identity theft.

How to get your free credit reports.

What steps can I take if my data has been compromised?

According to the FTC:

✔ If the organizations responsible for disclosing your information offer you free credit monitoring, take advantage of it.

✔ Get free credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. Look for accounts or charges you don’t recognize.

✔ Consider setting up a free credit freeze. A credit freeze makes it difficult for others to open a new account in your name.

✔ If you have a freeze in place, the next time you apply for a new credit card or cell phone—or any other service that requires a credit check—you’ll have to go through a few extra steps.
If you decide against a credit freeze, you should at least consider setting up a fraud alert.

✔ Try to file your tax return as early as possible – before a scammer does. Tax identity theft occurs when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond to letters from the IRS immediately.

✔ Don’t believe anyone who calls and says you will be arrested if you don’t pay your taxes or debts – even if the caller has all or part of your Social Security number or claims to be from the IRS.

✔ Continue checking your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com. You can check your reports every week for free.

✔ You may want to consider setting up an E-Verify account so you can block your Social Security number at e-verify.gov/mye-verify.

E-Verify is an online system that allows employers to verify your eligibility to work in the United States while also blocking your Social Security number so that others cannot use it to find work. It is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. If someone tries to find a job with a blocked Social Security number, employers using E-Verify must obtain additional information from the person trying to use your Social Security number.

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