Features

Hackers have struck again at UC Berkeley computers, this time at the Graduate School of Journalism, the university announced Tuesday.  

In a statement from the university’s Department of Public Affairs, the school said a hacker may have gained access to “Social Security numbers and/or dates of birth” of 493 applicants to the journalism school between September 2007 and last May. 

The computer breach is the second announced by the school this year. 

In May the university announced that hackers had stolen at least 160,000 medical records from university computers during attacks that lasted from Oct. 9, 2008, to April 9. 

In March 2005, the university announced the theft of a laptop computer containing personal information on nearly 100,000 graduate students. 

In October 2004, the university revealed that hackers had breached a database which contained the names and Social Security numbers of about 600,000 individuals. 

In all of the previous incidents, the university sent notice to warn each potentially compromised individual of the breaches. 

In the statement released today the university announced that “Any students who applied to the Graduate School of Journalism between 2007 and 2009 and provided valid Social Security numbers will be receiving letters,” informing them of the breach and advising them about what precautions to take.