Lewis & Clark Notifies Individuals of Data Security Incident

Lewis & Clark College is committed to maintaining the privacy and security of personal information. On March 22, 2024, Lewis & Clark College is notifying individuals of a data security incident involving unauthorized access to the Lewis & Clark College network as a result of cybersecurity incident that occurred on or about February 28, 2023 and resulted in the potential exposure of data.

Upon learning of the incident, Lewis & Clark College immediately took steps to secure the network and mitigate against any additional harm. In addition, Lewis & Clark College engaged external cybersecurity professionals experienced in handling these type of incidents to conduct an investigation. The forensic investigatory team learned that data potentially may have been removed by the unauthorized actor. Lewis & Clark College has no evidence directly linking this incident to specific incidents of financial fraud or identity theft. Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, Lewis & Clark College conducted a thorough and extensive manual review of the impacted data. After several months of extensive efforts to identify, review, and analyze the impacted data, on February 24, 2024, Lewis & Clark College determined that the impacted files contained identifiable personal and/or protected health information pertaining to certain individuals.

The impacted data contained the personal information of certain individuals, including their name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license or state identification, passport, financial account information, medical information, health insurance information, and/or LC unique identifier. Lewis & Clark College is sending notification letters to each potentially affected individual for whom it has enough information to determine a physical address.

Lewis & Clark College encourages impacted individuals to take actions to help protect their personal information. These actions include placing a fraud alert and/or security freeze on their credit files, and/or obtaining a free credit report. Additionally, individuals should always remain vigilant in reviewing their financial account statements, explanation of benefits statements and credit reports for fraudulent or irregular activity on a regular basis and report any suspicious activity to the proper authorities. Lewis & Clark College is providing complimentary credit monitoring services for those who had their Social Security number impacted.

For further questions about this incident, or to determine if affected, individuals may contact the dedicated response line at 1-833-914-4690 (toll free), available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, excluding holidays.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. Placing a Fraud Alert.

We recommend that you place a one-year “Fraud Alert” on your credit files, at no charge. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you personally before they open any new accounts. To place a fraud alert, call any one of the three major credit bureaus at the numbers listed below. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, they will notify the others.

Equifax
P.O. Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
(888) 378-4329

Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
(888) 397-3742

TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
(800) 680-7289

2. Consider Placing a Security Freeze on Your Credit File.

If you are very concerned about becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, you may request a “Security Freeze” be placed on your credit file at no cost. A security freeze prohibits, with certain specific exceptions, the consumer reporting agencies from releasing your credit report or any information from it without your express authorization. You may place a security freeze on your credit report by sending a request in writing, by mail, to all three nationwide credit reporting companies. To find out more on how to place a security freeze, you can use the following contact information:

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
(888) 298-0045

Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
(888) 397-3742

TransUnion Security Freeze
P.O. Box 160
Woodlyn, PA 19094
(888) 916-8800

In order to place the security freeze, you will need to supply your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and other personal information such as copy of a government issued identification. After receiving your freeze request, each credit reporting company will send you a confirmation letter containing a unique PIN (personal identification number) or password. Keep the PIN or password in a safe place. You will need it if you choose to lift the freeze. If you do place a security freeze prior to enrolling in a credit monitoring service, you will need to remove the freeze in order to sign up for the credit monitoring service. After you sign up for the credit monitoring service, you may refreeze your credit file.

3. Obtaining a Free Credit Report.

Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the above three major nationwide credit reporting companies. Call 1-877-322-8228 or request your free credit reports online at annualcreditreport.com. Once you receive your credit reports, review them for discrepancies. Identify any accounts you did not open or inquiries from creditors that you did not authorize. Verify all information is correct. If you have questions or notice incorrect information, contact the credit reporting company.

4. Protecting Your Medical Information.

If this notice letter indicates that your medical information was impacted, we have no information to date indicating that your medical information involved in this incident was or will be used for any unintended purposes. As a general matter, however, the following practices can help to protect you from medical identity theft.

• Only share your health insurance cards with your health care providers and other family members who are covered under your insurance plan or who help you with your medical care.
• Review your “explanation of benefits statement” which you receive from your health insurance company. Follow up with your insurance company or care provider for any items you do not recognize. If necessary, contact the care provider on the explanation of benefits statement and ask for copies of medical records from the date of the potential access (noted above) to current date.
• Ask your insurance company for a current year-to-date report of all services paid for you as a beneficiary. Follow up with your insurance company or the care provider for any items you do not recognize.

5. Additional Helpful Resources.

Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check your credit reports periodically. Checking your credit report periodically can help you spot problems and address them quickly. If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or have reason to believe your information is being misused, call your local law enforcement agency and file a police report. Be sure to obtain a copy of the police report, as many creditors will want the information it contains to absolve you of the fraudulent debts. You may also file a complaint with the FTC by contacting them on the web at www.ftc.gov/idtheft, by phone at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338), or by mail at Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Your complaint will be added to the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, where it will be accessible to law enforcement for their investigations. In addition, you may obtain information from the FTC about fraud alerts and security freezes.

Iowa Residents: You may contact law enforcement or the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to report suspected incidents of identity Theft: Office of the Attorney General of Iowa, Consumer Protection Division, Hoover State Office Building, 1305 East Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50319, iowaattorneygeneral.gov, telephone: 515-281-5164. Maryland Residents: You may obtain information about avoiding identity theft from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Consumer Protection Division, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, marylandattorneygeneral.gov, telephone: 888-743-0023. Massachusetts Residents: Under Massachusetts law, you have the right to obtain a police report in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it. New Mexico residents: You have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit. In addition, you have the right to obtain a security freeze (as explained above) or submit a declaration of removal. You have a right to bring a civil action against a consumer reporting agency that violates your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting and Identity Security Act. For more information about the FCRA, please visit consumer.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf or ftc.gov. New York Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the New York Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; ag.ny.gov/resources/individuals/credit-lending/identity-theft; telephone: 800-771-7755. North Carolina Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina, Consumer Protection Division, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, ncdoj.gov, telephone: 877-566-7226 (toll-free within North Carolina), 919-716-6000. Oregon Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the Oregon Attorney General’s Office: Oregon Department of Justice, 1162 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301-4096, doj.state.or.us, telephone: 877-877-9392. Rhode Island Residents: You have the right to obtain a police report if one was filed, or alternatively, you can file a police report. Further, you can obtain information from the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General about steps you can take to help prevent identity theft. You can contact the Rhode Island Attorney General at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, (401) 274-4400, riag.ri.gov. As noted above, you have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report at no charge, but note that consumer reporting agencies may charge fees for other services. To place a security freeze on your credit report, you must send a request to each of the three major consumer reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. These agencies can be contacted using the contact information provided above. In order to request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information: your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); Social Security number; date of birth; complete address; prior addresses; proof(s) of identification (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, birth certificate, etc.); and if you are a victim of identity theft, a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft. When you place a security freeze on your credit report, within five (5) business days you will be provided with a personal identification number or password to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or to temporarily authorize the release of your credit report for a specific period of time after the freeze is in place. To provide that authorization, you must contact the consumer reporting agency and provide all of the following: (1) the unique personal identification number or password provided by the consumer reporting agency; (2) proper identification to verify your identity; and (3) the proper information regarding the period of time for which the report shall be available to users of the credit report. There were X Rhode Island residents impacted. Washington D.C. Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, 400 6th Street NW, Washington D.C. 20001, oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection, telephone: 202-442-9828.