Columbia University has opened the claims window for people affected by its data breach last year, letting them claim part of a $16.1 million settlement agreed in September. Eligible individuals can receive credit monitoring, identity-theft restoration services and cash payments, with claims due January 21, 2027, according to a notification sent to those affected.
Columbia University (Credits: Insurance Journal)
Columbia Data Breach Settlement: 3.1 Million Affected
The breach — first reported by Bloomberg — exposed Social Security numbers, addresses, demographic information, financial-account details, academic histories and medical information belonging to millions of people, including university applicants. Columbia now tallies roughly 3.1 million individuals affected, up from last year’s count of about 870,000, per information filed with state officials in May. The university says the data types differed per person, so no single individual necessarily had every type exposed.
Columbia said it found no evidence the attack was financially motivated or that the data was sold or distributed on the dark web. The school discovered the incident in June 2025, and hackers went on to strike its Ivy League peers through the end of the year — the University of Pennsylvania breach affected 440,000 individuals and Dartmouth College 99,000, with both containing Social Security numbers and financial information, per Texas Attorney General data.
Columbia Settlement Claims: How to File by Jan 21, 2027
Anyone who received the settlement notification should file before the January 21, 2027 deadline to receive cash payments plus the free monitoring and restoration services. The settlement resolves the proposed class action over the incident, one of the largest higher-education data breaches on record.
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Source: Insurance Journal — read the full story there.
