COMPUTER security is being beefed up across the National University of Singapore (NUS) after sensitive data of more than 15,000 alumni members was leaked in an email.
On 1 April, the NUS Career Centre sent an email to about 450 NUS alumni, all of whom graduated last year, to invite them to a job recruitment fair.
But the staff member, accidentally attached a file full of personal information, home addresses, subject majors and phone numbers of 15,794 alumni members.
This group comprises of all those who graduated between 1993 to 2008, with a first class and second upper class honours degree.
The Straits Times understands that this staff member had been working from an old email, using it as a template. However, she neglected to remove the file attachment that was in the email, before sending it out.
Responding to her error, she immediately recalled the email, but only managed to retrieve some.
Due to the incident, the university is starting a review on information security across all campuses to 'evaluate the safeguards that are in place for secure communication and exchange of information, either within or outside NUS,' said Professor Tan Eng Chye, deputy president of academic affairs and provost.
The university is taking no chances and implementing several processes: Personal or confidential information in all its databases will be password protected. The passwords will only be revealed to the recipients verbally or via text messages.
'In addition, all future email announcements to stakeholder groups will be proof-read by at least two staff before they are sent,' added Associate Professor Tan Teck Koon, Dean of Students at the Office of Student Affairs.
This is not the first time a leak at NUS has ocurred. In December last year, examination results were also released ahead of time due to a technical glitch
Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times. .
