Ryerson University is conducting an investigation into a security breach that occurred two weeks ago, in which confidential documents were left in unlocked offices at Kerr Hall South.
According to student newspaper the Eyeopener, boxes labeled “shred” and “confidential” were strewn about the empty office space. Payroll stubs, past exams, and student numbers, along with staff tenure reports and resumés were among the documents waiting to be shredded.
Although the documents have been removed, the university’s violation of Ontario privacy laws means students’ private information was temporarily compromised.
Ontario universities are bound by the 2006 Freedom of Information and Privacy Act, under which students have the right to access their own official records and academic information. Student information held by universities is considered private and must be protected under the act.
An investigation is underway to discover how and why the breach occurred. Affected individuals have been informed of the incident and the measures taken to secure their records.
