Hacker may have stolen Duke students' data

DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The personal data of nearly 1,400 prospective Duke Law School students may have been stolen by a hacker, officials at the North Carolina school said.

Duke Law School officials said that two separate databases may have been accessed by a hacker, one including the prospective students' data and another filled with requests for information about the school, the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer reported Wednesday.

Included among the information in the application database were applicants' social security numbers, e-mail addresses and user-generated passwords.

The electronic intrusion was discovered last week after an editor working on the university's Web site noticed a series of unauthorized links.

Associate Dean of Admissions William J. Hoye said that while it is not clear if the hacker stole data before the Web site was shut down, those affected should takes precautions.

"We have no evidence that the intruders actually downloaded or acquired any of this information," Hoye said. "Nonetheless, we know they had the opportunity and the tools to do so."