University of Minnesota data breach: Class action lawsuit filed

U of M investigates alleged data breach

The University of Minnesota is dealing with a data breach that could impact millions of alumni after a hacker claims to have collected 7 million Social Security numbers in July.

(FOX 9) - A class action lawsuit has been filed against the University of Minnesota in federal court over a massive data breach that was made public last week.

The lawsuit is being brought by a former student and a former university employee who fear their personal data may be in the breach.

The university didn't explicitly confirm the breach, but administrators discussed their investigation last week. The university has turned to law enforcement after a hacker claimed to steal 7 million Social Security numbers from the college. Some of the information, posted on the dark web, includes details dating back to 1989.

Experts say people who think they may have been included in the breach should freeze their credit to protect themselves.