Hartwick College

Hartwick College experienced a data security breach on March 13, 2025, which was reported to the Maine Attorney General's Office on April 11, 2025. The incident involved the unauthorized exposure of sensitive personal information belonging to approximately 23 Maine residents, including names and Social Security numbers (SSNs) highly valuable data for identity theft and financial fraud. The college took steps to notify affected individuals via mail on April 8, 2025, though the delay between the breach discovery and public disclosure raises concerns about response efficiency. The compromised data, particularly SSNs, poses a long-term risk of fraud, credit damage, and potential misuse in phishing or financial scams. While the breach appears targeted at a limited group, the nature of the exposed information elevates its severity due to the irreversible harm identity theft can inflict on victims. No immediate evidence suggests broader systemic failure or ransomware involvement, but the incident underscores vulnerabilities in data protection protocols, especially for institutions handling sensitive personal records. The college may face regulatory scrutiny under data privacy laws (e.g., state breach notification statutes) and reputational damage among current and prospective students, faculty, and stakeholders.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/8f7c122f-d1b4-4e83-b6e7-69f531f1c722.html

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/the-higher-education-systems-&-services-consortium-hess-

"id": "the1029090725",
"linkid": "the-higher-education-systems-&-services-consortium-hess-",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2024",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '23 (Maine residents)',
                        'industry': 'Higher Education',
                        'location': 'Oneonta, New York, USA',
                        'name': 'Hartwick College',
                        'type': 'Educational Institution'},
                       {'industry': 'Legal/Regulatory',
                        'location': 'Maine, USA',
                        'name': "Maine Attorney General's Office",
                        'type': 'Government Agency'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'Notification letters sent to affected individuals '
                        '(2025-04-08)',
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '23',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names',
                                                         'Social Security '
                                                         'Numbers'],
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (includes SSNs)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
                                              'Information (PII)']},
 'date_detected': '2025-03-13',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-04-11',
 'description': "The Maine Attorney General's Office was notified about a data "
                'security incident at Hartwick College, potentially '
                'compromising names and Social Security numbers of '
                'approximately 23 Maine residents.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Names', 'Social Security Numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (SSNs compromised)'},
 'references': [{'source': "Maine Attorney General's Office"}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Maine Attorney '
                                                       "General's Office "
                                                       'notified (2025-04-11)'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Notification letters sent to affected '
                                        'individuals (2025-04-08)'},
 'title': 'Hartwick College Data Security Incident (2025)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}