Computer hackers reportedly have stolen identifying information and credit card numbers from more than half a million — some 600,000 — college students, faculty, and alumni this year. This is prompting some campus IT officials to call for a "total overhaul" of computer security protocol.

Identity Theft 911, an Arizona-based company founded by consumer advocates and experts from the financial industry and law enforcement, released a report this month, called "America’s Universities: A Hacker’s Dream," which documents some of the largest recent computer security breaches on college campuses and discusses solutions for IT decision makers and students.

Twenty-seven American colleges and universities saw personal records stolen in the first seven months of 2009, and the report concludes that a "sprawling profusion" of disparate computer networks and servers–each with a different security policy–makes IT departments "powerless to enforce any standards," meaning student grades, credit information, and Security Social numbers remain vulnerable.

Read the full story at eCampus News