DeSales University

DeSales University suffered an external system breach (hacking) that compromised the personal information of 10,820 individuals, including five Maine residents. The unauthorized access occurred between July 14, 2020, and September 29, 2020, with affected individuals notified via written notice on June 4, 2021. The breach specifically exposed Social Security Numbers (SSNs), a highly sensitive form of personally identifiable information (PII). The incident was reported by the Maine Office of the Attorney General, indicating regulatory scrutiny and potential legal obligations for the university. The delayed discovery and notification (nearly a year after the breach period) may further exacerbate reputational harm and compliance risks. The exposure of SSNs poses significant long-term risks, including identity theft, financial fraud, and phishing attacks targeting victims. As an educational institution, DeSales University holds a responsibility to safeguard student, faculty, and staff data, making this breach a critical failure in cybersecurity protocols. The scale and sensitivity of the leaked data suggest severe operational and trust-related consequences for the university.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/5fe7a283-fae7-494c-b359-b4f094b7b6f6.shtml

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/desales-university-department-of-education

"id": "des155082025",
"linkid": "desales-university-department-of-education",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "7/2020",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 10820,
                        'industry': 'higher education',
                        'location': 'Pennsylvania, USA',
                        'name': 'DeSales University',
                        'type': 'educational institution'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'written notice provided to affected individuals on '
                        'June 4, 2021',
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'likely (unauthorized access)',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': 10820,
                 'personally_identifiable_information': True,
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'high',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers']},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2021-06-04',
 'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported that '
                'DeSales University experienced an external system breach '
                '(hacking) affecting a total of 10,820 individuals, including '
                '5 residents of Maine. The breach involved unauthorized access '
                'to personal information, specifically Social Security '
                'Numbers, which occurred between July 14, 2020 and September '
                '29, 2020, with written notice provided to affected '
                'individuals on June 4, 2021.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'high (SSNs exposed)'},
 'references': [{'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Maine Office of the '
                                                        'Attorney General']},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'written notice to affected '
                                        'individuals'},
 'title': 'DeSales University External System Breach',
 'type': 'external system breach (hacking)'}