A public, career and technical education institution located in the East Valley region of the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona, The East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT)officially notified the Attorney General of Maine on August 13, 2024 about a significant data breach that compromised the sensitive information of 208,717 individuals. This breach, which occurred earlier this year, exposed many personal data, including names, Social Security numbers, medical information, and financial details.
The breach was first detected on January 9, 2024, when EVIT discovered an unauthorized party accessed its computer network. Upon realizing the severity of the situation, EVIT immediately took steps to secure its systems and launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party data security experts. The investigation confirmed that the unauthorized party had accessed specific files and folders within EVIT’s IT network, which contained confidential consumer information.
The compromised data includes personal identifiers like Social Security numbers and dates of birth, as well as sensitive information such as medical records, financial account details, and even educational information like grades, class schedules, and disciplinary files. The breach also affected various forms of identification, including driver’s licenses, passports, and military ID numbers.
In response to the breach, EVIT has begun sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals affected by the incident. These letters provide detailed information on what specific data was compromised for each individual.
East Valley Institute of Technology, located in Mesa, Arizona, serves adult and high school students across several East Valley school districts. The institution is a public, career, and technical education district, employing over 240 people and generating around $13 million in annual revenue.
Given the scope of the breach, affected individuals are advised to take immediate steps to protect themselves from potential identity theft or fraud. Consulting with a data breach lawyer may be beneficial to understand the risks and explore legal options in the aftermath of the breach.
