Computer hackers who exposed confidential information on a University database did not necessarily intend to steal the information, University spokesman Tom Jackson said.
"They may have just been trying to hack to see if they could get in," Jackson said.
An overseas hacker gained access to the Disability Resource Center database last week, exposing 3,500 student Social Security numbers and information regarding clients' disabilities.
Hackers often seek weak networks through testing or "pinging" particular hosts. This can be done by using an automated program, which can quickly test many databases, Jackson said.
In this case, security patches that were supposed to be in place were not.
Other than the person's location, it's impossible to know who identified the weakness and hacked into the database, Jackson said.
This is the third time a University database was breached in the last three years. There never has been a reported case of identity theft from the two previous breaches, he said.
Jackson said he did not know if the Disability Resource Center is required to use Social Security numbers.
Efforts to reach Karen Kalivoda, the director of the Disability Resource Center, were unsuccessful.