Berry College is addressing a security breach involving the misplaced FAFSA records of approximately 2,000 students and alumni, which may expose personal information such as social security numbers. The college is working to recover the records and has set up a hotline and a dedicated website for affected individuals to provide updates and assistance. While some students express concern about potential identity theft, college officials reassure that there is no evidence of unauthorized access to the information.

1. Berry College, Mount Berry, Georgia
Campus Carrier
September
Vol. 98
No.5
21
2006
www.berry.edu/
stulife/carrier
Fast food to fitness classes: Ways to stay in shape ... p. 7 Test your knowledge: Look inside for
The bus stops at BCTC Sept. 28 ... p. 12 some sports trivia ... p. 9
Student FAFSA data misplaced at airport
Chris Edwards
Editor
Whether lost, simply misplaced or
in other hands, what’s certain right now
is that FAFSA financial aid application
records for roughly 2,000 Berry students
and recent alumni aren’t where they are
supposed to be — Berry College.
On Wednesday, students received
letters and emails notifying them of the
potential threat to affected individuals’
personal information, including names,
social security numbers and reported fam-
ily income.
College President Stephen R. Briggs
appealed personally to students and
media outlets, spelling out the events that
led to an external consulting firm essen-
tially taking the records off campus and
consequently misplacing them. The press
releases and official statements also spell
out ways Berry is seeking to rectify the sit-
uation and provide relief to those affected
by the security breach.
“I’m sure they [Berry] are doing every-
thing they can,” said senior Catherine
Huff. “They’re doing all that they can do.
I’m not upset by the way that they’re han-
dling it.”
With the breach generally affecting
sophomores, juniors, seniors and May
graduates the most, little concern has been
given to freshmen unless they applied for Stephen Lindley, Photo Editor
FAFSA for the 2005-2006 school year.
While Huff wasn’t especially worried Television news crews, including this one from WSB’s Channel Two in Atlanta, were a common sight across campus yesterday
about her information being used against as media outlets found out about the misplaced records. WSB aired its report live from campus Wednesday night at 11 p.m.
her in identity theft or similar fraud, oth-
ers are somewhat concerned.
“The biggest thing that I’m concerned family incomes are part of the information in Atlanta on her way out of town. In their and alumni access to their credit files.
about is the fact that it’s our social security on the misplaced records. However, Briggs report, Briggs also said that Berry is work- Additionally, a hot line to answer ques-
number and our parents’ information,” also said there is “no reason to believe that ing with airport police to try and recover tions on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
said senior Fiona McAllister. “I’m not so information has been obtained by unau- the records if possible. The records were has been established at 1-800-961-4963.
much concerned about my own personal thorized persons or used fraudulently.” both paper and digital. Still, some Berry students want to know
credit because I don’t have any really set Further, he reiterated that Berry’s internal Berry has established a Web site at berry. more, specifically regarding what Berry is
up enough for somebody to be able to ruin records like VikingWeb are secure. edu/stulife/idprotect to keep students up- going to do with the consulting firm.
it. But for my parents, I’m really concerned The Rome News-Tribune reported that to-date on developments and offer tools to “It would be kind of nice if we could
about the repercussions it might have for the consultant who misplaced the data report suspicious activities regarding their find out what they’re doing, in terms of
them.” worked for Financial Aid Services, Inc., credit or personal finances. with this consultant, and whether they
While it is unsure the records contain and according to reports by Fox 5 Atlanta, To inquire about their credit history plan on continuing to use them first of all
much information about the parents’ iden- the consultant lost the records last Friday without penalty or fee, Berry is contract- or whether they plan on taking any legal
tities, official statements indicate reported at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport ing with Equifax to offer affected students action against them,” McAllister said.
ID theft scares prompt responses
Chris Edwards
Editor
The same day Berry was making Berry’s actions
state headlines and news reels with its
ordeal over records security breaches, » Established a Web site at berry.edu/
national headlines featured the Bush stulife/idprotect that educates those
administration’s task force on identity affected by the misplaced records.
theft coming to some conclusions over
the growing crime of ID theft. » Set up a hot line to answer questions
Suffering from several similar data at 1-800-961-4963 during weekdays
security breaches in various depart- from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ments, the government has sought to
find ways to combat both data breaches » Contracted with Equifax to offer af-
and the increasing instance of ID theft fected individuals the strongest level
itself. of protection in both monitoring their
According to bbbonline.org, a 2005 credit report and guarding against ID
Stephen Lindley, Photo Editor survey about ID theft finds that 9.3 mil- theft.
In celebrating the Cage Center ground-breaking last Thursday, former lion Americans suffered the crime in a
college president Scott Colley, current president Stephen Briggs, Kim 12 month period, costing the economy » Provided a link to affected individu-
Cage, Steven J. Cage, interim chairman of the board of trustees W. Glenn $56.2 billion. Also, ID theft often results als to report suspicious credit report
Cornell and former chairman of the board of trustees William B. Stokely in victims spending countless hours fix- activity.
participated in the turning of the dirt, a ground-breaking tradition. ing their damaged credit scores.