Pepperdine University

On November 12, 2012, Pepperdine University experienced a data breach when a university-owned laptop was stolen. The incident was reported to the California Office of the Attorney General on December 11, 2012. The stolen laptop contained unencrypted personal information, including names and Social Security numbers of individuals associated with the university. The exact number of affected individuals remains undisclosed, leaving uncertainty about the full scope of exposure. The breach posed a risk of identity theft and financial fraud for those whose data was compromised. While no evidence of malicious use of the stolen data was immediately reported, the loss of sensitive personal information raised concerns about the university’s data security protocols and the potential long-term consequences for affected parties. The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in the protection of personally identifiable information (PII) within academic institutions, particularly regarding the physical security of devices storing sensitive data.

Source: https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-37218

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/pepperdine-kdsi

"id": "pep035091825",
"linkid": "pepperdine-kdsi",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "11/2012",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Unknown',
                        'industry': 'Higher Education',
                        'location': 'Malibu, California, USA',
                        'name': 'Pepperdine University',
                        'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Theft of Laptop',
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': 'Unknown',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names',
                                                         'Social Security '
                                                         'Numbers'],
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (includes Social Security '
                                        'Numbers)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
                                              'Information (PII)']},
 'date_detected': '2012-11-12',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2012-12-11',
 'description': 'The California Office of the Attorney General reported a data '
                'breach involving Pepperdine University on December 11, 2012. '
                'The breach occurred on November 12, 2012, when a University '
                'laptop was stolen, potentially exposing personal information '
                'including names and Social Security numbers. The number of '
                'affected individuals is unknown.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Names', 'Social Security Numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'Potential',
            'systems_affected': ['Laptop']},
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Theft of unsecured laptop '
                                           'containing sensitive data'},
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2012-12-11',
                 'source': 'California Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Reported to California '
                                                       'Office of the Attorney '
                                                       'General'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public disclosure via California '
                                        'Office of the Attorney General'},
 'title': 'Pepperdine University Laptop Theft Data Breach (2012)',
 'type': 'Data Breach (Physical Theft)'}