Campus Cards, College and University Identification and Security
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Laptops, potential jackpots for ID thieves at Columbia University

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

A recent break in at New York’s Columbia University may have compromised the personal information of more than 1,400 people, reports the Columbia Spectator.

After announcing the burglary eleven days following the incident, campus officials released that three notebook computers were stolen from a college office that contained personal information including Social Security numbers of current and prospective students, alumni and past and present employees.


Administration stated that there has been no evidence that would lead them to believe the information had been accessed, but still felt it necessary to inform all those who may have been affected.

In an email sent out by the college, the administration offered all those were affected with free subscriptions to credit monitoring systems and recommended activating fraud alerts.

While one campus official stated there was a low risk of identity theft, and that the laptops were stolen only for physical retail value, some students are still concerned.

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India’s Bangalore University will soon launch a smart card-based ID for its students and faculty, reports Daily News & Analysis.

The e-ID will function as an identification and debit card. The university plans to add functions to enable hall tickets, attendance records, report cards and degree certificates.

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The Province of British Columbia, the University of British Columbia and the Alma Mater Society have negotiated a plan to prevent students from dropping out of courses but still keeping their subsidized U-Pass, according to The Ubyssey.

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Researchers in the U.S. are working towards a system that can detect if someone is lying as well as if they are angry or drunk by their voice alone, according to a Homeland Security News Wire article.

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A Chinese couple who used stolen identity information from students at Simon Fraser University in Canada to obtain TransLink U-Passes, have been deported.

Siyuan Gu and Jing Wang pleaded guilty in December to using the forged documents.

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British Columbia is moving forward with plans to upgrade its CareCard program. According to The Vancouver Sun, the new card will provide access to a variety of regional services including electronic health records, driver license and school registration for children.

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A state audit found that personal and financial information for students considering attending the University of Maryland were stored on publicly accessible servers that could make students easy prey to ID thieves.

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