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Lansing Community College settles for $1.45 million over data breach; claims due by December

WKAR file photo

Individuals who at some point may have shared their personal information with Lansing Community College may be entitled for cash payments as part of a $1.45 million settlement over a class action lawsuit alleging the school failed to protect the sensitive personal data of its employee, vendors and former, current and future students.

From December 25, 2022, to March 15, 2023, the community college experienced a cybersecurity incident that may have leaked sensitive information like social security numbers of more than 750,000 people, according to lawsuit documents.

The LCC settlement is the second of its kind in Michigan this year. In May, West Michigan private university, Hope College, agreed to pay $1.5 million for allegedly exposing the data of nearly 157,000 people.

At the time of the breach, LCC shut down operations for several days and said it discovered a “unauthorized actor” may have had access to the school’s internal network for nearly three months.

LCC has denied any wrongdoing but has agreed to the $1.45 million settlement to avoid litigation. The U.S. Western District Court will hold a final hearing in January to consider whether to approve the settlement.

The amount of money each person receives will depend on how many people submit claims, but an individual can be entitled to up $2000 in reimbursements for losses directly related to the data breach.

Settlement administrator’s have notified via mail all those affected by the LCC data breach. A spokesperson for the college said the school cannot comment on pending litigation.

Eligible claimants have until December 30 to file a claim, or until November 29 to exclude themselves or object to the settlement. Claims can be filed online at www.lansingsettlement.com.

As WKAR's Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter, Michelle reports in both English and Spanish on stories affecting Michigan's Latinx community.
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