Computer Theft at UC San Francisco

UC San Francisco is alerting some individuals to a burglary involving unencrypted desktop computers that contained some personal and health information.

While there is no evidence that there has been any attempted access or attempted use of the information involved in this incident, UCSF is responding with the highest level of caution and concern.

Notification letters are being sent to the 9,986 individuals whose information was contained on the computers. The California Department of Public Health, the California Attorney General, and federal authorities have been alerted. Additionally, a special phone line has been established to provide information and assistance to individuals who receive the notification letters, and credit monitoring is being offered to some individuals whose Social Security numbers were involved.

UCSF learned on January 13, 2014 that desktop computers were burglarized from the UCSF Family Medicine Center at Lakeshore on or about January 11, 2014. Upon discovering the theft, UCSF police and UCSF officials were immediately notified.

UCSF immediately began a technical analysis to identify what information was on the computers. The analysis revealed that the computers contained some personal and health information, which may have included individuals’ names, dates of birth, mailing addresses, medical record numbers, health insurance ID numbers, and driver’s license numbers.  Social Security numbers were also involved for 125 individuals.

The security of protected health information at UCSF is of utmost importance. UCSF is committed to maintaining the privacy of personal and health information and has taken additional steps to secure that information, including strengthening educational and operational processes for information security.   

Should you have any questions about this matter, please call 1-888-236-0299 (for international callers, please dial 1-503-597-7687).

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.