Report Data Privacy Breaches!

Report Data Privacy Breaches!

• March 31st, 2023
• in Privacy, Uncategorized

Data privacy breaches can come in many different forms and can have serious consequences for both individuals and the University. There are many different types of data privacy breaches, including:

1. Hacking: This occurs when someone gains access to a computer system or network without permission and steals or alters sensitive data. For example, a hacker may break into your email account to obtain information and credentials.
2. Physical theft or loss: This happens when someone physically steals or loses a device that contains sensitive data, such as your laptop or USB drive.
3. Phishing: This involves manipulating individuals to gain access to sensitive information. For example, someone may pretend to be IT support or a University Official to ask you to open a strange link or provide your login credentials to obtain access to your accounts and devices.
4. Unauthorized access: This is when someone intentionally or unintentionally exposes sensitive data to another person unauthorized to access such information. For example, you may accidentally send personal or private information to the wrong person in an email.
5. Third-party breaches: This happens when a vendor or partner company that has access to any information suffers a breach. For example, your cloud storage provider may be hacked, exposing your data.
6. Improper Storage or Record Destruction: This occurs when records containing private and sensitive personal information are not handled with care or they are stored or destroyed in a way that does not meet or align with UA’s Record/Data Retention and Destruction Policy. For example, you may simply throw away a paper with sensitive information without shredding it or leaving all of the content unreadable.

Regardless of the size or kind of data breach, it is critical to notify the proper authorities. To protect the privacy of affected individuals and prevent further harm, any data privacy breaches must quickly be reported using the appropriate measures. Failure to do so can result in legal and financial consequences, as well as damage to the University’s reputation. All breaches must be reported through the Privacy Breach Portal on the Privacy page of this website. This ensures that the proper authorities are notified and given the necessary information and support to mitigate any potential harm. By reporting all data privacy breaches through the portal, this also ensures that proper measures can be taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

The University of Alabama is committed to transparency and accountability; therefore, it is important for you to be vigilant and take steps to protect sensitive information.

Please contact the Office of Compliance, Ethics, and Regulatory Affairs at privacy@ua.edu with any questions.