People search Stanford University data breach timeline because the brand sits on billions of accounts, credentials, and cloud workloads. BreachHistory indexes 7 Stanford University-linked incidents, with headline counts up to 72K+ in catalog rows. This page maps every attested event through 2026 with internal links to canonical records.
Why Stanford University breach history matters
Stanford University operates in Technology (United States). Across indexed rows, recurring themes include mixed intrusion and disclosure events. Understanding the chronological pattern helps security teams, customers, and regulators separate confirmed disclosures from forum marketing.
Full timeline through 2026
2017 — — Stanford University: A student staff member of the Stanford Daily…
Cataloged incident. A student staff member of the Stanford Daily discovered a data breach and reported it to campus privacy authorities on November 9. The student was able to access unidentified sexual assault reports which were being collected under the Clery Act from 2005 to 2012.The data was stored on the Andrew Filed Sharing platform and was accessible to any AFS user, including those outside of Stanford, according to Stanford News. “We greatly appreciate the Stanford Daily’s responsible handling of the confide Exposed categories include Personal information. BreachHistory cites approximately 10K+ affected records in this row. See the stanford-university2017 and canonical BreachHistory entry.
2013 — — Stanford University: People who used Stanford University's computer…
Cataloged incident. People who used Stanford University's computer network have been asked to reset their passwords. Stanford released few details but stated that it does not appear that Social Security numbers and financilai nformation were accessed or exposed. Exposed categories include Personal information. No attested victim count is published for this row yet. See the stanford-university2013 and canonical BreachHistory entry.
2012 — — Stanford University: A hacking group called Team GhostShell targeted…
Cataloged incident. A hacking group called Team GhostShell targeted universities around the world. A total of 53 universities were affected. Most of the data exposed was publicly available, but student, staff, and faculty usernames and passwords were also exposed. It is unclear if any financial information or Social Security numbers were taken from universities. Exposed categories include Personal information. No attested victim count is published for this row yet. See the stanford-university2012 and canonical BreachHistory entry.
2011 — — Stanford University: The medical records of about 20,000 emergency room…
Cataloged incident. The medical records of about 20,000 emergency room patients were posted on a commercial website for nearly a year. It is unclear how the spreadsheet with names, account numbers, admission and discharge dates, billing charges and diagnosis codes came to be on the website. The information was not financially sensitive. The website was called Student of Fortune and allowed students to pay for assistance with their school work. The spreadsheet was posted in relation to a question about how to co Exposed categories include Personal information. BreachHistory cites approximately 20K+ affected records in this row. See the stanford-university2011 and canonical BreachHistory entry.
2008 — — Stanford University: Stanford University determined that a university…
Cataloged incident. Stanford University determined that a university laptop, which was recently stolen, contained confidential personnel data. The university is not disclosing details about the theft as an investigation is under way. Exposed categories include Personal information. BreachHistory cites approximately 72K+ affected records in this row. See the stanford-university2008 and canonical BreachHistory entry.
2008 — — Stanford University: Tens of thousands of past and current Stanford…
Cataloged incident. Tens of thousands of past and current Stanford University employees had personal information - including their dates of birth, Social Security numbers and home addresses - stored on the hard drive of a stolen university laptop. BreachHistory cites approximately 72K+ affected records in this row. See the stanford-universityu and canonical BreachHistory entry.
2005 — — Stanford University: The University's Career Development Center was hacked, 10K records
Cataloged incident. The University's Career Development Center was hacked. This exposed the names, Social Security numbers, and other personal information of users. Names and credit card information for some employers that registered with the site were also in the database. Exposed categories include Personal information. BreachHistory cites approximately 10K+ affected records in this row. See the stanford-university2005 and canonical BreachHistory entry.
Patterns and analysis
- Mixed intrusion and disclosure events — appears across multiple Stanford University catalog entries; prioritize controls that address this class of failure.
- Record-count hygiene — BreachHistory indexes actor-cited figures separately from company-confirmed totals; read each row's technicalWriteup before treating counts as fact.
- 2026 monitoring — New disclosures roll into this timeline as they are verified or labeled unverified per catalog policy.
What to do if you may be affected
- Step 1: Enable phishing-resistant MFA on every account tied to this brand.
- Step 2: Use unique passwords and a password manager—breach rows often involve credential reuse.
- Step 3: Monitor official company breach notices and regulator filings, not dark-web downloads.
- Step 4: Review OAuth app permissions and revoke unused third-party integrations.
- Step 5: Bookmark the Stanford University company page for new 2026+ disclosures.
Canonical BreachHistory hub
Explore every indexed row: breachhistory.com/stanford-university · Latest: stanford-university2017.
Sources: BreachHistory catalog (7 rows for Stanford University), company and regulator disclosures cited in individual breach records.