Private Colleges Admission Files Breached
![](https://mainstream.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/photo_91242_landscape_850x566.jpg)
Who: Oberlin College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College
# of Accounts Breached:
What was affected: Admissions database
When it happened: March 2019
How it happened: The mysterious sender offered the student a chance to see his file, including comments by admissions officers, assigned ratings, interview notes, teacher recommendations, and a tentative decision. “Although the price tag is substantial,” the message said, “this offer presents a unique opportunity to look at yourself from the inside of Grinnell Admissions office absolutely unfiltered.” All he had to do was pay one Bitcoin, or about $3,900.
Outcome: Technolutions, had advised colleges using Slate to review security practices for their single sign-on and password-reset systems. In an email to Slate users on Thursday the company strongly encouraged the use of two-factor authentication in single sign-on systems.