Chapman University students' personal information leaked

A document containing sensitive information on 13,000 students of Chapman University and its affiliate, Brandman University, was accidentally accessible to students last week, the university said.

The electronic document -- which contained the Social Security numbers, student identification numbers and financial aid information of approximately 11,000 current and former Chapman students, 1,900 applicants to the college, and a few students from Brandman University -- was discovered by a Chapman student Feb. 15, Chapman spokeswoman Mary Platt said.

The student recognized the sensitive nature of the information and reported it to school officials, who  launched a “very thorough” investigation, Platt said.

They discovered that the document had accidentally been placed in a nonsecure folder, but had only been accessed once -- by the student who reported it, Platt said.

Shari Waters, Chapman’s chief information officer, said in a statement released Tuesday that the university has found “no evidence that any personal data was appropriated or misused” and that the slip-up appeared to be an “isolated incident.”

The university is contacting all the affected students with information on how to guard against identity theft and will offer a free identify-theft monitoring service, Platt said. A call center has also been established to answer questions from concerned students or parents.

Platt said that it was the first time such a massive leak of information had occurred at Chapman or its affiliated universities.

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