Dear Cal Poly Humboldt community members,

You may have seen news of a significant recent data breach involving a company called National Public Data. This breach, which is entirely unrelated to Cal Poly Humboldt, resulted in the exposure of 2.7 billion records, including sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, addresses, and dates of birth.

Given the frequency of such breaches over the past several years, it's prudent to assume that your personal information, including your Social Security Number, may have been compromised at some point. This puts you at an increased risk for identity theft.

To help protect yourself, I strongly recommend that you set up accounts with the three major credit bureaus and keep your credit reports in a frozen state unless you are actively applying for new credit. Freezing your credit is not a perfect solution, but it is currently one of the most effective measures we have available.

For detailed instructions on how to set up accounts with the three major credit bureaus and place or lift a credit freeze, please visit the following resource:

How to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report | USAGov

Taking proactive steps now can help mitigate the risk of identity theft and protect your financial well-being.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Regards,

Tom Lukins | Interim Information Security Officer (ISO) 

Information Technology Services

Cal Poly Humboldt | 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521 

Office:  (707) 826-2161

Submit a support ticket or check systems status at: Cal Poly Humboldt ITS