A recent court filing has brought to light a significant data breach at a community college, impacting thousands of students and former students. The complaint was filed by Dorothy Riles in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 9, 2024, against South Suburban College (SSC), also known as Illinois Community College District 510.
According to the lawsuit, SSC failed to properly secure and safeguard personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, mailing addresses, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. The breach was discovered on November 8, 2023, when an unauthorized party accessed SSC's systems and demanded a ransom payment. Despite quick actions to secure their network and launch an investigation with independent IT security experts, SSC admitted that sensitive data might have been exposed.
The complaint highlights that the breach likely resulted from SSC's negligent handling of PII. The plaintiff argues that SSC maintained the information in a condition vulnerable to cyberattacks and failed to take necessary steps to protect it despite being aware of the risks. As a result, Riles and other class members suffered losses including out-of-pocket expenses and time spent mitigating the effects of potential identity theft.
Riles seeks various forms of relief from the court. She demands actual damages for lost or diminished value of PII, out-of-pocket expenses related to identity theft prevention and recovery, compensation for lost time dealing with the breach's aftermath, and injunctive relief requiring SSC to implement proper data security measures. Additionally, she requests that SSC provide adequate notice about what specific types of information were accessed during the breach.
The case is being handled by attorneys representing both parties under Case No.: 1:24-cv-7054. It will be presided over by judges from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.