The University of Akron has informed 800 students and graduates of the College of Education that a portable hard drive containing personal information is missing and may have been discarded or destroyed in December.
The university said the device contained Social Security numbers, names and addresses of students and graduates.
Dr. Cynthia Capers, interim dean of the College of Education, said UA felt it was essential to notify students and graduates even though ''we believe this incident puts them at low risk of identity theft.''
Students and graduates received Federal Trade Commission guidelines to help guard against identity theft and a UA phone numbers and Web address to ask additional questions.