- Multiple servers were recently hacked at WIU in Macomb, Ill., resulting in the potential compromise of the names, credit card numbers and Social Security numbers of up to 240,000 people. The break-in was discovered on June 5, although the school has only now begun the notifying affected individuals. "Our first efforts were focused on fixing the breach and taking additional security measures," the school said in a statement. "The process of determining the number of records potentially viewed and preparing mailings has taken longer than anticipated in the notification process."

According to a university spokeswoman, the hacked systems contained personal data on students had registered for courses at WIU. The systems also contained credit card information for those who had purchased merchandise online through the university book store or stayed at the University Union hotel, she said.

- In Washington, a laptop computer containing Social Security numbers and other personal data on about 13,000 District of Columbia government workers and retirees was stolen. It was reported stolen last Monday, apparently taken during a burglary at the home of an employee of the firm that runs the district's deferred employee compensation plan.

Mary Ann Young, a spokeswoman for Washington's chief financial officer, said the laptop was being used by an employee of ING Financial Services, which administers the optional DCPlus 457 Deferred Compensation Plan program for district workers. The data on the machine was not encrypted, nor was the machine password-protected, Young said.

A police investigation is continuing into the incident, and affected employees and retirees are being contacted by mail about monitoring their credit records and watching for suspicious activity, Young said. The affected employees and retirees are being offered one year of free credit-monitoring services by ING, she said.