Scott Vernick was quoted in The News Journal article "UD Hack Victims Scramble for Help after Computer Breach." While the full text can be found in the August 1, 2013, issue of The News Journal, a synopsis is below.
More than 72,000 present and former employees and students at the University of Delaware had their personal information stolen in a recent data breach when hackers exploited a flaw in the university's systems to steal names, addresses, Social Security numbers and more.
Noted privacy and data security authority Scott L. Vernick said the breach could result in a class-action suit against the university, although similar cases in the past haven't been very successful.
"There's always a risk of litigation for the university because the question that people will start asking is whether or not the university took steps to prevent it," Vernick said.
The university has fallen under increased scrutiny, after it was revealed the first signs of the breach appeared on July 22, but the public wasn't notified until July 30. Vernick noted that the public's frustrations are understandable, but that some private companies have taken months to conduct such investigations into suspected data breaches.
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