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Nelnet Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Nelnet Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Twingate Team

Jun 20, 2024

Nelnet, a student loan servicer, experienced a data breach in July 2022, which impacted certain federal loan servicing clients. The incident affected borrowers whose student loans were serviced by the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority and Edfinancial Services. Unauthorized access to Nelnet's servicing system led to the exposure of borrowers' personal information, including names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 2.5 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers of student loan borrowers.

How was Nelnet hacked?

An unknown actor exploited a vulnerability in Nelnet's servicing system, gaining unauthorized access to the personal information of approximately 2.5 million student loan borrowers.

Nelnet's solution

In response to the hacking incident, Nelnet took several measures to secure its systems and prevent future breaches. These actions included immediately securing the systems, blocking suspicious activity, and fixing the issue. Nelnet also launched an investigation with third-party forensic experts to determine the nature and scope of the breach. To help protect affected borrowers, Nelnet offered immediate access to credit monitoring and identity theft protection services for 24 months at no cost.

How do I know if I was affected?

Nelnet has notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Nelnet customer and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for all online accounts. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on your accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  • Monitor Your Credit: Keep an eye on your credit reports and financial accounts for any suspicious activity. Report any discrepancies to the appropriate financial institutions immediately.

For more specific help and instructions related to Nelnet's data breach, please contact Nelnet's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Nelnet data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

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Nelnet Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Nelnet Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Twingate Team

Jun 20, 2024

Nelnet, a student loan servicer, experienced a data breach in July 2022, which impacted certain federal loan servicing clients. The incident affected borrowers whose student loans were serviced by the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority and Edfinancial Services. Unauthorized access to Nelnet's servicing system led to the exposure of borrowers' personal information, including names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 2.5 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers of student loan borrowers.

How was Nelnet hacked?

An unknown actor exploited a vulnerability in Nelnet's servicing system, gaining unauthorized access to the personal information of approximately 2.5 million student loan borrowers.

Nelnet's solution

In response to the hacking incident, Nelnet took several measures to secure its systems and prevent future breaches. These actions included immediately securing the systems, blocking suspicious activity, and fixing the issue. Nelnet also launched an investigation with third-party forensic experts to determine the nature and scope of the breach. To help protect affected borrowers, Nelnet offered immediate access to credit monitoring and identity theft protection services for 24 months at no cost.

How do I know if I was affected?

Nelnet has notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Nelnet customer and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for all online accounts. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on your accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  • Monitor Your Credit: Keep an eye on your credit reports and financial accounts for any suspicious activity. Report any discrepancies to the appropriate financial institutions immediately.

For more specific help and instructions related to Nelnet's data breach, please contact Nelnet's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Nelnet data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

Nelnet Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Twingate Team

Jun 20, 2024

Nelnet, a student loan servicer, experienced a data breach in July 2022, which impacted certain federal loan servicing clients. The incident affected borrowers whose student loans were serviced by the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority and Edfinancial Services. Unauthorized access to Nelnet's servicing system led to the exposure of borrowers' personal information, including names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 2.5 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers of student loan borrowers.

How was Nelnet hacked?

An unknown actor exploited a vulnerability in Nelnet's servicing system, gaining unauthorized access to the personal information of approximately 2.5 million student loan borrowers.

Nelnet's solution

In response to the hacking incident, Nelnet took several measures to secure its systems and prevent future breaches. These actions included immediately securing the systems, blocking suspicious activity, and fixing the issue. Nelnet also launched an investigation with third-party forensic experts to determine the nature and scope of the breach. To help protect affected borrowers, Nelnet offered immediate access to credit monitoring and identity theft protection services for 24 months at no cost.

How do I know if I was affected?

Nelnet has notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Nelnet customer and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for all online accounts. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on your accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  • Monitor Your Credit: Keep an eye on your credit reports and financial accounts for any suspicious activity. Report any discrepancies to the appropriate financial institutions immediately.

For more specific help and instructions related to Nelnet's data breach, please contact Nelnet's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Nelnet data breach, check out the following news articles: