Data Breach WatchDBW

Education

Medium

monitoring

Updated about 1 month ago

Private University Data Breach

▼ Key takeaways

•Reports suggest a potential breach involving Private University.
•Discovered on March 15, 2026.
•Possible data exposed: Names, Social Security numbers, Dates of birth, Addresses, Government-issued ID numbers, Driver's license numbers, Financial account numbers, Credit or debit card numbers, Medical information, Health insurance details.
•Affects individuals in: Texas.
•Confirmation level: Confirmed by company.

Breach confirmed

The Private University breach is confirmed. If you may be affected, add your details below and we will take it from there.

Detailed summary

The University of St. Thomas, a private nonprofit university in Houston, Texas, experienced a ransomware attack. The ransomware group INC RANSOM claimed responsibility on August 21, 2025, when it announced on its dark web portal that it had exfiltrated approximately 1.8 terabytes of data. The university notified affected individuals and informed the Texas Attorney General on March 9, 2026. The university is cooperating with law enforcement.

Sensitive data exfiltrated includes names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, government-issued ID numbers (passport, state ID cards), driver's license numbers, financial account numbers, credit or debit card numbers, medical information, and health insurance details. The specific number of affected individuals is not publicly known. The breach did not involve a vendor or third-party service provider.

Details about data breaches can emerge over time, and notifications are sometimes delayed.

Data possibly involved

Names
Social Security numbers
Can be used to open fraudulent accounts and file false tax returns
Dates of birth
Addresses
Could be combined with other data for identity theft
Government-issued ID numbers
Driver's license numbers
Can be used for identity fraud
Financial account numbers
Credit or debit card numbers
May result in unauthorized charges on your accounts
Medical information
Health insurance details
Could be used for insurance fraud

Company Response Timeline

Response Grade

Took over 180 days or has not yet notified consumers

Breach Occurred

Aug 21, 2025

Company Discovered

Aug 21, 2025

Regulator Notified

Mar 9, 2026

Consumers Notified

Mar 9, 2026

0 days to discover

200 days to notify consumers

Breach Verification Status

Reports Only

Complete

Initial dark web reports of potential breach

Company Confirmed

Current

Company has acknowledged the breach

Regulator Confirmed

Confirmed by regulatory authorities

Note: Breach verification can take time. Information may evolve as more details become available from companies and regulators.

Case Status:

Monitoring

We're monitoring this situation for developments.

Were You Affected By This Breach?

If you are a customer or have received a data breach notification, you may submit your information as part of our ongoing investigation. Submitting your information is free and does not obligate you.

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Check Your Risk Level

Answer a few questions to understand how this breach might affect you

Do you use Private University?

Yes

What state are you in?

What should I do?

Change your passwords

Update passwords for the affected service and any accounts using the same password

Enable two-factor authentication

Add an extra layer of security to your accounts

Monitor your accounts

Watch for suspicious activity on your financial and online accounts

Watch for phishing attempts

Be cautious of emails or messages claiming to be from the affected company

Consider a credit freeze

Prevent unauthorized access to your credit report

Scan your email for other exposures

Check whether this address shows up in other known breaches. Free, no account.

Get your info off data-broker sites

Data Shield files removal requests with every broker that accepts an authorized agent, and gives you the exact link or letter for the brokers that only accept requests from you.

See how Data Shield works