Columbia University data breach
Was I affected?
Columbia University confirmed a breach affecting about 3.1 million people, exposing names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and addresses. You may be affected if you applied to, studied at or worked for Columbia (or are a family member on financial-aid files) and received a Columbia notice letter.
Settlement you can claim
| Announced | Aug 7, 2025 |
|---|---|
| When it happened | May 2025 |
| People affected | 3.1 million |
| Data exposed | Names, Social Security numbers, Dates of birth, Addresses, Phone numbers, Email addresses, Bank or financial details and Other details |
| Status | Confirmed by the company or a regulator filing |
What happened
Columbia University found in mid-2025 that a politically motivated hacker had stolen data on applicants, students, employees and family members. Its first Maine filing in August 2025 listed about 869,000 people, and a later state filing raised the count to roughly 3.1 million; data included Social Security numbers, contact details, academic and financial-aid records. Columbia has agreed to a $16.1 million class settlement.
What should I do?
- File a claim in the Columbia data breach settlement before January 21, 2027 if you received a notice.
- Freeze your credit for free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion so no one can open new accounts in your name.
- Request an IRS Identity Protection PIN so nobody can file a tax return with your Social Security number.
- Sign up for the free credit or identity monitoring offered in the notice letter before its enrollment deadline.
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Sources
- Columbia University data breach impacts nearly 870,000 students, applicants, employees · BleepingComputer (news)
- Columbia University sends data breach notifications after cyberattack · The Record (news)
- Columbia opens claims for $16 million data breach settlement · Claims Journal (Bloomberg) (news)