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News Release from Northwestern Michigan College
1701 E. Front St., Traverse City MI 49686
Contact: Paul Heaton, 231 995-1019, email: pheaton@nmc.edu
Date: April 24, 2008
News & Events

SunGard Incident FAQ

What happened?

A laptop belonging to a SunGard employee was stolen on March 13, 2008 on a college campus in New York. The laptop contained personal information for 1,611 NMC students and employees from March 2003. Although SunGard believes the laptop was stolen for its hardware value – not because of the data – those whose personal data was on the laptop should be aware in order to more vigilantly monitor their financial information and credit reports.
NMC was notified by SunGard on April 10, 2008 that data from some NMC students and employees might have been compromised.
NMC received exact data from SunGard of affected individuals on April 16, 2008, and began to verify the data represented its students and employees.
NMC mailed letters of notification to the affected individuals, and issued a news release, on April 18, 2008.

Who was affected?

Those involved were students and employees of NMC between 1999 and March 2003. Not all students and employees are affected. Individuals affected have received or will receive a letter regarding the incident and actions to take. If you have not received a letter and believe you may be affected, please call the NMC Technology Helpdesk at (231) 995-3020. Callers will be asked to verify their mailing address that NMC has on file.

Who is SunGard?

SunGard Higher Education (www.sungardhe.com) formerly known as SCT, provides NMC’s administrative software system, Banner. SunGard's headquarters are in Pennsylvania. The Banner system handles our student, financial and human resource functions. SunGard provides the software, technical support and maintenance services, training and consulting.

Why did SunGard have private information on NMC students and employees?

All of the data required for Banner is controlled and managed by NMC, not SunGard. In 2003, NMC engaged a consultant from SunGard to work on a project with the NMC Business Office. It was in that capacity that the consultant received a file from NMC containing information on 1,611 individuals, primarily students but also some employees. SunGard has some information on the theft and recommendations for credit follow-up at the following web site:
www.sungardhe.com/custom.aspx?id=1554

What is NMC doing to help individuals affected?

NMC is notifying individuals and providing information resources to allow concerned NMC community to call to ask whether their private data was compromised, and what to do if data was compromised.

My information was included on the SunGard laptop, so what do I do now?

A website has been created at www.sungardhe.com/laptoptheft to provide you with information on how to protect your identity as well as a toll-free information line at 866.520.2408 to address your questions and concerns. NMC recommends that you visit the site and take the precautionary steps outlined to help guard yourself against potential identity theft. For example, we recommend that you carefully review your credit card and banking/financial institution(s) statements for any suspicious and/or unauthorized activity. You are also encouraged to request a copy of your credit report. You are entitled to receive one free report per year from each of the three main consumer reporting companies:

Equifax – 800.525.6285, www.equifax.com
Experian – 888.397.3742, www.experian.com
TransUnion – 800.680.7289, www.transunion.com

My information wasn’t included in this loss, but I want to take precautions, so what should I do?

Privacy of information is complex, so there are a number of resources everyone should use to educate themselves. Here are some recommendations:

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse — provides straightforward information on a complex topic
Identity Theft Information for Michigan Consumers — information specific to Michigan, and it provides this helpful advice about getting your free credit reports: "The Attorney General's Office recommends either mailing the completed Annual Credit Report Request Form or calling, toll-free, (877) 322-8228.
Annual Credit Report — this site is run collectively by the three major Credit Reporting Agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.) Consumers must be cautious when ordering online. The Attorney General's consumer alert on Free Annual Credit Reports explains concerns consumers should be aware of when ordering online.

How do I find information from SunGard on this incident?

For information from SunGard on this theft, go to SunGard’s FAQ

What is NMC doing to protect student and employee privacy?

In the summer of 2003 NMC made conversions so that the Banner administrative system does not display Social Security Numbers. See NMC’s policy on Social Security Number Privacy.

NMC is also asking SunGard for reimbursement of all costs related to this incident, and for documentation of policies and procedures that will secure and protect any existing or future data shared by NMC.