Kansas University officials announced in April 2004 that a computer hacker might have gained access to personal information on thousands of KU students, faculty and staff members.

Officials still don’t know who did it. They’re cautious of giving details of what they’re doing to fix the problem. And there’s little chance students will ever hear KU announce it’s hacker-proof.

“That just sets you up” as a target for future hacking attempts, said Todd Cohen, a KU spokesman. “There are hackers out there all the time, and you have to remain vigilant all the time.”

Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission to avoid identity theft:

¢ Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you’re familiar with who’s receiving the information.

¢ Don’t carry your Social Security card.

¢ Guard your mail and trash from theft. For example, put outgoing mail in post office collection boxes.

¢ Carry only the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you actually need.

¢ Pay attention to billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time.

¢ Cancel all unused credit accounts.

If you’re a victim:

¢ Contact the fraud department of one the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The bureaus are TransUnion, (800) 680-7289; Equifax, (888) 766-0008; and Experian, (888) 397-3742.

¢ Close the accounts that you believe have been tampered with.

¢ File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others who may require proof of the crime.