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Newly released details on the University of Minnesota data breach underscore its severity. The records involved span from 1989 into 2021 and include: names, addresses, phone numbers, driver's license and Social Security numbers, dates of birth, demographic and employment data. Additionally, the breach included parent information and other personal identifiable information from previously submitted FAFSA submissions — grades, loan information, degree information, test scores and family income. Astounding!
If there were ever a textbook example of there being too much personal information being secured, utilized and stored by the educational system of this country, then this is it. I'm livid (but not surprised) that the University of Minnesota gathers this much data. I'm befuddled as to how willing the populace is to provide this level of data to anyone and everyone who says they must have it for you to participate. No! There are other ways to do this without putting the public's most personal and sensitive information on servers, databases and recovery sites across the globe, which are prime data theft targets. Do I blame the hackers for this? Of course. But I also blame the system in which the University of Minnesota is an active and willing participant.
It is well beyond the time for our government officials to act once and for all and to make personal identifiable information personal and private. Universities, utilities and others all clammer for our information. It's bought, massaged, filtered and sold for purposes well beyond its intent. Every time there's a data breach, individuals are instructed to be diligent and to check their credit report frequently for anything out of the ordinary. We're also told that we can purchase data theft protection services to help mitigate its misuse. Here's a novel concept: How about these organizations find ways to do business that don't require sensitive data, and whatever data is held is secured and then later purged. When there is a breach, how about they pay those whose data has been compromised instead of suggesting that we can go buy a third-party service?
Until we stop abusing people's private and sensitive data in the manner we do, these breaches will continue. It's well past time for the system to change — but I'm going to be the last one to hold my breath waiting for that change to come.
Hans Molenaar, Shoreview
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Do they want this job or not?
Imagine you are a business owner selling pizza. You'd like to hire someone to help with your business. Someone applies for the position but makes it clear he/she doesn't like pizza, has no skill at making pizza and in fact if hired would do everything in his/her power to make sure that no one else could make or buy pizzas. Unlikely that you would hire this person.