Dear Felician University Community:

I am writing to inform you of a cyber-incident recently experienced by the University.  In November 2020, our University fell victim to a sophisticated attack that was able to thwart the system security measures we had in place at that time.  Upon discovery, we deployed all available resources to secure our network and eradicate the threat from our environment.  To assist with our efforts, we engaged a team of third-party data security and computer forensic experts to further investigate the incident and ensure that our systems were secure and free from any ongoing threats.  Fortunately, because of our immediate response and the round-the-clock efforts of both our internal staff and external resources, the disruption to our Felician Community was minimal.  Specifically, there was little to no impact to educational instruction or the University’s ability to communicate with and service its constituents.

Since the time of the incident, we have dedicated significant resources to fully understand the scope and breadth of the attack.  During the course of this investigation, the University determined that certain data stored within the University’s network was subject to unauthorized access and/or acquisition.  Thereafter, we undertook an extensive review of all potentially impacted information in order to definitively determine the nature of the compromised data and to whom the information related.  Recently, the University confirmed that the affected data contained potentially sensitive information relating to a limited number of individuals affiliated with the Felician University Community including current and former students, faculty, and staff.  The impacted data includes social security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, passport information and limited financial account information.

In addition to this general correspondence, we are notifying individuals who were impacted by this incident.  To be clear, if your personal data was not affected by this breach, you will not receive individual notification.  As part of the individual notification, the University will offer all impacted individuals complimentary services to assist in monitoring their credit histories and accounts.  We have also established a dedicated call-center to address any questions you may have concerning this incident.

When I arrived last October, I committed to being fully transparent with you, notwithstanding the nature of the situation.  Accordingly, while only a limited number of individuals were impacted by this incident, I am sending this general notice because it is important that our entire community is aware of what occurs within this institution. In the world we live in today, it is an unfortunate fact that educational institutions are now a frequent target of cybercriminals, which means every one of us in Felician must remain vigilant to protect our systems and the data stored therein.  To that end, the University is expending significant resources to further strengthen our cyber security and fortify our network.  As cyber-attacks remain on the rise, this serves as a great reminder that we must all continue to follow information security best practices and to immediately report any anomalies  encountered on our systems.

While impacted individuals will be receiving additional communication and support concerning this incident, I understand that some of you may have questions regarding this matter.  Accordingly, we request that any questions pertaining to this matter are directed to the resource found at 866-977-0820.

I deeply regret the occurrence of this incident.  I am determined that we protect our campus, both physically and virtually going forward.  Be assured, the University has taken every action necessary to address this event.  The investments we are making are devised to achieve a level of security that deters cybercriminals and provides the protections our institution and the members thereof require.

In Veritate Felicitas,

J.W. Crawford, III

Interim President