CMS alerts 7,600 job applicants to personal data breach

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has notified about 7,600 job applicants that their personal information, including Social Security numbers, was shared with an outside contractor without their consent.

The district emailed the applicants last Friday to alert them about the breach and that CMS worked with the vendor to ensure that the sensitive data was destroyed.

In the email, CMS said it takes its obligation to protect personal information seriously and apologized “for any inconvenience or concerns that this incident may cause you.”

In a statement Tuesday morning, CMS said that one of its employees entered into an agreement with a vendor prior to obtaining proper authorization, and that resulted in the unauthorized release of confidential data.

Applicants’ names and addresses, in addition to their Social Security numbers, were disclosed.

The contractor, following a work order, used the information to create a CMS database of applicants for a specific learning community, the district said in its letter. The district did not identify the vendor.

“CMS takes the unauthorized release of information seriously and promptly informed all affected applicants as required by law,” the district said in its statement. “CMS has worked collaboratively with the vendor to ensure the sensitive information was destroyed and has taken measures to prevent any additional release of information.”

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 8:41 AM with the headline "CMS alerts 7,600 job applicants to personal data breach."