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U of M shares additional details on 2021 data breach
The university previously confirmed they became aware of the claimed data breach on July 21, with an “unauthorized party” claiming to possess sensitive data.
MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota (U of M) is sharing new details about information that was likely accessed by a hacker during a data breach back in 2021.
In August, a U of M spokesperson confirmed that the university and a private firm were investigating the reported breach by an individual claiming to have accessed sensitive information about students, school employees and those who had taken part in U of M programming between 1989 and August 2021.
A lawsuit by two former U employees was filed just days after the revelations, with the plaintiffs seeking class-action status so others could join.
On Thursday, Sept. 21, the university provided more details about what kind of data was accessed and whose information may have been compromised. The hacker may have access to an individual’s name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, driver’s license or passport information, University identification number, birthdate, demographic information, admissions applications, and employment information, among other things.
- Prospective Students (and certain parent or guardian data): Information supplied in admissions or financial aid applications submitted directly to the University or through the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, including student and parent or guardian names, contact information, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, student high school and high school grade information, standardized test scores, demographic information and family income.
- Students: Information related to the individual’s education, including student contact information and parent or guardian names and addresses, student email addresses, Social Security number, student ID number, date of birth, classes, grades, demographic information, insurance policy number, loan data, degree, and diploma year.
- Employees: Information related to the individual’s work, including name and address, email address, Social Security number, employee ID number, date of birth, driver’s license or identification card, and payroll information (but not bank account information).
- Other Persons: Similar categories of information as described above, if provided by individuals with unpaid University appointments, those who performed work for the University, those who received taxable payments from the University, and University volunteers or spouses/partners of certain University administrators.
The University says it immediately contracted with forensics professionals to investigate whether the hacker’s claim was credible and ensure the security of the U’s computer systems. After an extensive probe, the U of M determined that unauthorized access to a University database did take place in 2021.
Notices are being sent out to those potentially affected for whom the U has an email address. The email will come from a special U of M account and provide more detail about steps being taken in response to this incident. Instructions on signing up for free credit checks and identity monitoring services will be included in that email.
The university is also giving a heads-up to potential victims via campus websites.
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The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says 26-year-old Maleek Conley was indicted on 13 charges in a shooting that killed two and wounded two others on Dec. 3, 2023.
MINNEAPOLIS — The man accused in a shooting that killed two at a Minneapolis tobacco shop now faces two charges of first-degree murder after being indicted by a Hennepin County grand jury.
Maleek Jabril Conley, 26, was already charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting that occurred on Dec. 3, 2023. An employee of Royal Cigar & Tobacco in Dinkytown told responding Minneapolis police officers that a verbal altercation involving a group of men escalated into a fistfight and then gunfire.
Two men, identified as Jamartre Sanders and Bryson Haskell, were killed in the shooting. Two others were shot but survived. Conley was later identified as the gunman by surveillance video.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Friday that a grand jury indicted Conley on 13 charges related to the tobacco store shooting, including first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of first-degree premeditated attempted murder, four counts of second-degree intentional murder, two counts of attempted second-degree intentional murder, and one count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
“This was a brutal crime,” Moriarty said in a released statement. “Mr. Conley fired at the victims at close range, killing two people and wounding two others. I am grateful for the service of the grand jury in moving us closer to appropriate accountability for Mr. Conley’s shocking conduct.”
Conley remains in custody at the Hennepin County jail.
The recall of yellow onions from Taylor Farms comes after an outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.
COLORADO, USA — A food service supplier has issued a recall for onions from a Colorado Springs Taylor Farms facility due to possible E. coli contamination, according to a letter provided to 9NEWS by the restaurant chain Illegal Pete’s.
The move by US Foods comes after an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened dozens of people and is blamed for the death of one person in Mesa County. According to health officials, it has been linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. The outbreak’s exact source is unknown, but the focus has been on slivered onions and the beef patties specifically used by the chain for those burgers.
McDonald’s has stopped serving the burgers.
The letter sent on Wednesday from US Food urged its customers, including Illegal Pete’s to immediately stop using the affected products.
RELATED: Food safety attorney: Lawsuits coming against McDonald’s following Colorado E. coli outbreak
It indicated that the products included were yellow onions from Taylor Farms that were either whole or diced. The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesperson said.
In a statement, Illegal Pete’s said they’re taking the issue seriously and are following all of the instructions in the letter.
They also noted that they don’t use a diced/ sliced white onion product that has been identified as a possible source of E. coli. The company said Taylor Farms issued a blanket recall from a certain lots.
The Centers for Disease Control said as of Tuesday that 49 people in 10 states have gotten sick, including 26 illnesses and one death in Colorado. Nine people have been sickened in Nebraska.
At least 10 of Colorado’s cases were reported in Mesa County in western Colorado, according to the county health department spokeswoman.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the 26 people who have gotten sick in Colorado live in nine counties: Arapahoe, Chaffee, El Paso, Gunnison, Larimer, Mesa, Routt, Teller and Weld. They did not necessarily eat at McDonald’s locations in the counties where they live, the health department said.
The CDC said 10 people across the affected states have been hospitalized. The outbreak also includes a child hospitalized with severe kidney complications.
Everyone interviewed said they ate at McDonald’s before getting sick and specifically mentioned eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger, according to the CDC. The agency said infections were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.
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