Worcester Polytechnic Institute Data Breach

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.

On November 5, 2024, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (“WPI”) reported a significant cybersecurity incident to the Maine Attorney General’s Office. According to the notice, WPI became aware of a cybersecurity incident within its network on September 18, 2024. Its subsequent investigation revealed that an unauthorized party had accessed individuals’ private and sensitive personal information stored in WPI’s system (the “Data Breach”). The Data Breach has impacted approximately 6,691 individuals.

Recently, WPI began sending data breach notification letters to those affected by the Data Breach. Each notification letter includes complimentary access to credit monitoring and identity restoration services. If you received a data breach notification letter from WPI, it indicates that you were affected by the Data Breach. 

Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, WPI is a private research university known for its strong emphasis on engineering, science, and technology. Founded in 1865, WPI employs around 548 full-time and part-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 7,308.

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED IN THE WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE DATA BREACH?

The type of compromised information varied among individuals and potentially included:

• Names, 
• Social Security numbers. 

This information is called your Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”). It tells others about you and is considered part of your identity. Businesses are required to secure this information or risk facing statutory penalties, among other legal penalties. Stolen PII can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity. 

The best way to protect yourself after a data breach is to sign up for credit and identity protection services as soon as possible. 

California offers extra protections and legal rights to its residents through the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from WPI, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.