LSU, Kentucky, Arkansas, Kansas, Penn State grads all included

Smile your personal data has just been exposed! No sooner did tens of thousands of college graduates throw their caps in the air than the company behind their graduation photos was discovered to have exposed those pictures, along with their personal details.

Cybernews the company that discovered the leak tells ConsumerAffairs that its research team found that Digital Pix & Composites, a U.S.-based graduation photo maker, exposed the personal details of thousands of students from 222 American universities. According to the team, those files contained 469 text files containing data on 43,000 students, including their full names, addresses, and institutions.

ConsumerAffairs reached out toDigital Pix for a comment but did not immediately get a response.

The list is a Whos Who of academia, too. Researchers noted that students from Vanderbilt, Stanford, University of California, University of Michigan, University of Kentucky, University of Texas, University of Maryland, University of Georgia were exposed in the leak.

Leak impact: What are the consequences?

The leak is considered serious, but it couldve been much more severe. Still, researchers believe that exposing students' full names, home addresses, and educational affiliations poses a significant risk to their privacy. For example, attackers could use the data for spear phishing attacks.

The data leak could aid cybercriminals in their efforts to obtain more information about the affected individuals by connecting the stolen information with additional details that are readily available on the internet, researchers explained.

Attackers could also use the leaked information to attempt to gain unauthorized access to students existing accounts. When a person's home address is leaked, their personal safety and security are jeopardized. For example, criminals might use the exposed data to target specific homes for theft, burglary, or invasion.

The universities where the data was exposed

Cybernews shared what colleges and universities where the photo-associated personal data was exposed. Heres the full list:

William Paterson University

Elgin Community College

Northwestern State University/Natchitoches

Colorado State University

University of South Dakota

University of Missouri/Columbia

University of Arkansas/Fort Smith

Missouri University Science & Technology

Northeastern Oklahoma A & M

Vanderbilt University

Missouri State University

Louisiana State University/Eunice

University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill

Clarion University

Southwest Tennessee Community College

Western Michigan University

Purdue University/Lafayette

University of Tennessee

Texas Womans University/Denton

Stanford University

University of Alabama/Huntsville

Valdosta State University

University of Wisconsin/La Crosse

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Ohio University

Illinois State University

University of North Texas

University of North Georgia

Bevill State Community College/Jasper

Arkansas Tech University

Valencia College

Iowa State University

University of Toledo

University of Minnesota/Minneapolis

East Tennessee State University

Elmhurst University

Radford University

University of Georgia

Kent State University

University of Nevada/Las Vegas

Georgia College and State University

Liberty University

Wayne State University

Illinois Wesleyan University

East Carolina University

Northern Illinois University

University of Kansas

University of Florida

Jefferson State Community College/Jefferson

Georgia Southwestern State University

Louisiana State University/Baton Rouge

Southwestern Adventist University

Augusta University

Roane State Community College

Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association

Stockton University

Arkansas State University

Kansas City Kansas Community College

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

University of Pittsburgh

University of South Carolina/Columbia

Oneonta (Suny)

Stetson University

University of Memphis

The University of Rhode Island

Eastern Kentucky University

Northeastern State University

University of Southern Indiana

San Diego State University

University of Central Florida

Mcneese State University

Delaware Valley College

University of California/Santa Barbara

University of North Florida

Georgia State University

University of New Orleans

Austin Peay State University

Auburn University

Anderson University

Auburn University/Montgomery

Southeastern University

Michigan State University

University of Northern Colorado

University of South Carolina/Aiken

Mercer University

Samford University

University of North Alabama

University of Arkansas/Fayetteville

Jefferson State Community College/Shelby

Nebraska Wesleyan University

University of Tulsa

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Florida State University

Radford University Carilon

Northwest Missouri State University

Prairie State College

Front Range Community College

Oakton College

Winston-Salem State University

Depauw University

Eastern Illinois University

Dillard University

Kennesaw State University

Appalachian State University

Orange County Community College (Suny)/Newburgh

Georgia Southern University

Southern Illinois University/Edwardsville

University of Wisconsin/Whitewater

Rhodes College

Roanoke College

University of West Georgia

Middle Georgia State University/Dublin

University of Iowa

Shenandoah University

University of Central Oklahoma

Jacksonville State University

Valparaiso University

Tennessee Technological University

William Jewell College

University of Colorado

West Virginia University

University of North Carolina/Charlotte

Middle Tennessee State University

Western Carolina University

Elon University

Tulane University/Newcomb College

Troy University

University of North Carolina/Wilmington

University of Texas/Dallas

Loyola Marymount University

University of Central Florida/Cocoa

University of Evansville

University of Louisiana/Monroe

University of Wyoming

University of Montevallo

Methodist University

University of Illinois

Washburn University/Topeka

Oregon State University

University of Wisconsin/Stout

University of South Alabama

Montclair State University

Carnegie Mellon University

William Rainey Harper College

University of Louisiana/Lafayette

Mercer University/Atlanta

University of Utah

College of Central Florida

Polk State College/Lakeland

University of Pennsylvania

Union University

Wichita State University

St. Johns College

University of Kentucky

Southeast Missouri State University

Ohio State University/Columbus

Baldwin-Wallace University

Shorter University

University of North Carolina/Greensboro

Middle Georgia State University/Warner Robins

Franklin College

Georgia Institute of Technology

Bellarmine University

Bowling Green State University

Clemson University

George Mason University

Bucknell University

Drake University

Washington University

Bloomsburg University of Pa

University of The Pacific

Pennsylvania State University

Coastal Carolina University

University of Tennessee/Chattanooga

Capital University

Colorado School of Mines

Ohio Northern University

Indiana University

Stephen F. Austin State University

Texas State University/San Marcos

Angelo State University

Murray State University

Huntingdon College

University of Michigan/Ann Arbor

University of Nebraska/Lincoln

Fairleigh Dickinson University/Madison

University of West Alabama

Loyola University

University of Southern Mississippi

York College of Pennsylvania

Penn State Altoona

University of Wisconsin/Madison

University of Alabama/Birmingham

Charleston Southern University

Winthrop University

Ball State University

California State University/Los Angeles

College of William & Mary

St. Anthony College of Nursing

Albany State University/Cordele

Indiana University-Purdue University/Indianapolis

Shelton State Community College

Mississippi State University

Wabash College

University of Maryland/College Park

University of West Florida

Nashville State Community College

Bradley University

University of South Florida

Millsaps College

North Carolina State University

Oklahoma City University

Trinity Valley Community College

Georgia Southern University/Savannah

University of Alabama

Georgia Highlands College

Florida Institute of Technology

Vernon College

Albany State University/West

University of Nebraska/Kearney

Walters State Community College

Washington State University