Lakes Region Scholarship Foundation

The Lakes Region Scholarship Foundation is a United States-based organization that administers scholarship programs for students, primarily within its regional service area. Its core function involves processing applications from individuals seeking financial assistance for post-secondary education, which necessitates the collection and management of sensitive personal data. This includes full names, residential addresses, and Social Security numbers, information critical for identity verification and award distribution. The foundation's operational history is evidenced by its handling of applicant records spanning at least a 1996 to 2009 timeframe, indicating a long-standing presence in supporting educational advancement through private funding. While its precise geographic scope within the "Lakes Region" is not detailed, its reporting of a data breach to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office confirms a legal and operational footprint within that state. The organization's activities place it within the nonprofit education sector, where it competes with and complements other private and institutional aid providers. A fundamental aspect of its mission involves the secure stewardship of applicant information, a responsibility underscored by the nature of the data it maintains.

A significant security incident occurred on March 17, 2016, when the foundation experienced an unauthorized computer breach. This incident resulted in the potential exposure of the sensitive personal information of past scholarship applicants. The compromised data specifically included names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of former high school students who had applied for scholarships during the 1996-2009 period. In response to the breach, the organization undertook notification efforts to inform the affected individuals whose data may have been accessed. Furthermore, the foundation formally reported the security event to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, acknowledging the unauthorized exposure of this sensitive data. This breach highlights the critical importance of robust cybersecurity measures for entities that handle personally identifiable information, particularly Social Security numbers. The incident serves as a documented case of data compromise within the scholarship and nonprofit education support sector, illustrating the potential vulnerabilities faced by organizations managing long-term applicant databases. The foundation's actions following the breach, including individual notifications and official reporting, reflect standard procedural responses to such security failures.