SSNs of Cornell Students and Staff Compromised

WVBR reports:

A stolen Cornell University computer has compromised the personal information of thousands of members of the University community. The computer contained the names and social security number of current and former students as well as current and former faculty and staff members.

An e-mail obtained by WVBR said that currently, no misuse of this sensitive information has been found. Also in the message, Cornell said that they have enlisted the help of Kroll Fraud Solutions to "provide fraud counseling and credit monitoring services at the university's expense."

Update: The university sends out an email to the affected members of the Cornell community:

Last week, we learned that a Cornell-owned computer that was stolen earlier this month contained your name and Social Security Number. Please accept our most sincere apologies for this unfortunate event.

In order to inform you of this situation as quickly as possible, we are sending you this email in advance of a formal notification via U.S. mail.

The official letter will detail the services that Cornell is offering you, at our expense, in response to this incident. There will also be a toll-free number you can call for additional information and assistance.

In the meanwhile, we urge you to visit a web site we have created with frequently asked questions (an FAQ) about this situation and some steps you can take yourself:

http://faq-june2009.cuinfo.cornell.edu