“This was the first time we produced this particular report to respond to a request of this nature, and the social security numbers were missed in our initial review of the data file,” said Tyler Norris Goode, spokesperson for SCC.

The group HigherEd Research, a scientific research and data analysis company, had requested basic student information such as name, program and dates of enrollment. 

SCC officials and attorneys recognized the breach after the information had been sent. HigherEd acknowledged both over the phone and in writing that the email sent by SCC had not yet been opened; the group reportedly deleted the file without opening it. The college has notified and reported this incident to the Consumer Protection Division of the N.C. Attorney General’s Office.

“We implemented new procedures that will prevent this type of mistake from taking place in the future,” Goode said. “Although we are confident the situation has been addressed, we apologize to our students and have advised them to remain vigilant by reviewing their financial accounting statements and monitoring their credit reports.”

Students who have further questions or need assistance can call 828.339.4406.