Overview

• At least 1.6 gigabytes of data including Social Security numbers, admissions decisions and other sensitive records from more than 2 million applicants were stolen in the June 24 breach.
• The intruder, who identified as a hacktivist, reportedly targeted documents to determine whether Columbia continued using affirmative action after its Supreme Court ban.
• Systems were largely restored by late June and no further unauthorized activity has been detected since the initial intrusion.
• Columbia engaged a leading cyber-forensics firm and is working closely with the FBI to trace the breach’s origins and methods.
• The university plans to notify individuals whose personal information was compromised once the investigation, expected to take weeks or months, concludes.