A class action lawsuit has accused California Northstate University of allegedly allowing people's private information to be exposed amid a ransomware attack on the school's computer systems.
The suit was filed Feb. 15 in federal court in Sacramento by named plaintiff Ganesh Sankar, of Georgia. According to the complaint, Sankar applied for admission to California Northstate.
The lawsuit accuses the university of negligence in safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII), such as full names and Social Security numbers.
The complaint alleges that CNSU stored this unencrypted PII in an internet-accessible environment, making it vulnerable to cyberattacks. It also accuses the university of failing to provide timely and adequate notice about the data breach, allegedly waiting until December 2023 before notifying alleged victims of the data breach that had occurred 10 months earlier.
The complaint asserts thousands of potential victims could be included in the class action.
The lawsuit seeks damages, restitution, and injunctive relief for the class members who have suffered losses due to the breach. These losses include out-of-pocket expenses incurred to mitigate the effects of the attack, emotional distress, and potential future harm from the compromise of their sensitive personal information.
The lawsuit was filed by attorney Scott Edelsberg, of Edelsberg Law, of Los Angeles.