Clackamas Community College: Data breach at Clackamas Community College prompts class-action lawsuit

Clackamas Community College Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Data Breach

Clackamas Community College is at the center of a class-action lawsuit following a data breach that exposed sensitive student information. The incident was first detected on September 10, 2023, when suspicious activity was identified on a network user account, prompting an immediate reset. However, further unauthorized access was discovered on October 24, leading the college to contain its systems and enlist a forensic security firm to investigate.

An investigation later revealed that an unauthorized third party accessed college files in late October 2023, though affected individuals were not notified until January 8, 2024. The breach compromised personal data, including names, dates of birth, tax identification numbers, passport details, financial accounts, and health information.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Portland, alleges the college failed to adequately protect student data by storing it in an unencrypted, internet-accessible environment. The named plaintiff, Aidan Zahn, reported a surge in spam calls following the breach, which he links to the exposed information. The suit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, along with a court order for the college to provide at least 10 years of credit monitoring for impacted individuals.

At least 100 people are part of the alleged class, with the college’s attorney granted until mid-March 2024 to respond to the allegations. The case is one of three lawsuits filed against the college this year, all assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo and likely to be consolidated. A spokesperson for the college has not yet commented on the suit.

Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2026/02/data-breach-at-clackamas-community-college-prompts-class-action-lawsuit.html

Clackamas Community College cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/clackamas-community-college

"id": "CLA1772317459",
"linkid": "clackamas-community-college",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'At least 100 people',
                        'industry': 'Education',
                        'location': 'Oregon, USA',
                        'name': 'Clackamas Community College',
                        'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Unauthorized access to internet-accessible files',
 'customer_advisories': 'Notification to affected individuals on January 8, '
                        '2024',
 'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'No (data stored unencrypted)',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Names',
                                              'Dates of birth',
                                              'Tax identification numbers',
                                              'Passport details',
                                              'Financial accounts',
                                              'Health information']},
 'date_detected': '2023-09-10',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-01-08',
 'description': 'Clackamas Community College is facing a class-action lawsuit '
                'following a data breach that exposed sensitive student '
                'information. The breach was detected after suspicious '
                'activity was identified on a network user account, leading to '
                'an investigation that revealed unauthorized access to '
                'personal data, including names, dates of birth, tax '
                'identification numbers, passport details, financial accounts, '
                'and health information.',
 'impact': {'customer_complaints': 'Surge in spam calls reported by affected '
                                   'individuals',
            'data_compromised': 'Personal data, including names, dates of '
                                'birth, tax identification numbers, passport '
                                'details, financial accounts, and health '
                                'information',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
            'legal_liabilities': 'Class-action lawsuit seeking compensatory '
                                 'and punitive damages',
            'payment_information_risk': 'High'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Unencrypted data storage in an '
                                           'internet-accessible environment'},
 'references': [{'source': 'Class-action lawsuit filing'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class-action lawsuit filed in '
                                            'federal court'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Notification to affected individuals '
                                        'on January 8, 2024',
              'containment_measures': 'Systems contained, network user account '
                                      'reset',
              'third_party_assistance': 'Forensic security firm enlisted'},
 'title': 'Clackamas Community College Data Breach and Class-Action Lawsuit',
 'type': 'Data Breach',
 'vulnerability_exploited': 'Unencrypted data storage in an '
                            'internet-accessible environment'}