College of Dentistry | University of Florida

Information about the recent privacy breach

On October 3, 2008, while upgrading a computer server, UF's College of Dentistry staff discovered evidence that an intruder had accessed that server.

The server contained some restricted data, including a combination of names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers and, in some cases, dental procedure information for College of Dentistry patients dating back to 1990. There is no evidence that the intruder viewed or downloaded any of this information. However, it is a possibility the data was obtained. For this reason, the university mailed letters to 336,234 people who had information on that server so they can take steps to protect themselves from identity theft or other illegal use of their personal information. There were 8,248 records without mailing addresses; the university has notified the national media as an attempt to reach those people.

This data security breach is now part of an ongoing investigation by the FBI and the University of Florida Police Department, with full cooperation and support from the university and the College of Dentistry.

Please note that the database contained:

  • No credit card or banking information
  • No student record information
  • No Human Resources/personnel information
  • No UF Foundation information (such as donations to the college or credit card/banking information relating to that)

For more information, please visit the UF privacy websiteOpens in a new window or call 352-273-6820.