Valdosta State Issues Notification of Computer Breach

VALDOSTA -- Valdosta State University continues to investigate unauthorized access to a computer server. The breached server contained employee and student information.

Joe Newton, director of Information Technology, said the breech was first detected on Dec. 11, 2009; however, unauthorized access dated back to Nov. 11, 2009. On Dec. 11, the university posted a news release that communicated the extent of the breach. http://www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/computer.121109

“An initial investigation has found no evidence that any personal data was accessed or transferred,” Newton said. “The breached server was secured and removed from the network. We are continuing the investigation with assistance from University Police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. ”

The university is in the process of contacting all individuals whose information might have been exposed. Individuals wanting to confirm the status of their information should visit the Information Technology notification Web site at www.valdosta.edu/notify .

“We regret the incident and are reviewing and revising our procedures and practices to minimize the risk of a reoccurrence,” Newton said.