Columbia University network data stolen by politically motivated hacker, officials confirm.
Columbia University has confirmed a significant cybersecurity incident that has resulted in the unauthorized access of its network by a politically motivated hacker. The breach has reportedly affected the data of an undefined number of users. The school’s administration made the announcement earlier this week, following a considerable technical outage that began on June 24 and disrupted access to essential services, including university emails and online coursework.
During this outage, which was linked to a failure in the network ID authentication service utilized by students and faculty, unsettling visuals surfaced on several displays across campus, including an image of former President Donald Trump. Reports from local media indicate that these disturbances raised alarms within the university community.
In response to the incident, Columbia has engaged a cybersecurity firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation and has informed law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In a public statement, university officials indicated that the outage was initiated by an unauthorized entity aiming to disrupt the institution’s operations. Early findings suggest that sensitive data may have been extracted from Columbia’s network as part of this intrusion.
Columbia has not disclosed a specific motive for the attack. However, a person claiming to be responsible for the breach communicated to Bloomberg News, indicating a desire to investigate the university’s admissions practices in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate affirmative action policies in 2023. The university has publicly maintained that its admissions procedures remain in compliance with this ruling.
As a precaution, Columbia has enhanced its cybersecurity protocols since the incident. Notably, while access to Columbia’s email and remote coursework platforms was restored swiftly, other critical systems, including the school’s registration portal and printing services, remained offline for several days. Importantly, the school’s medical center and associated health records were not impacted by the breach.
This incident highlights ongoing challenges Columbia has faced in recent years, including significant funding withdrawal by the federal government over claims relating to the university’s handling of anti-Semitism. In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, threats have also emerged regarding the cancellation of grants for institutions involved in diversity and inclusion efforts. Moving forward, university officials continue to monitor the cybersecurity landscape closely, striving to protect the integrity of their systems and the personal data of their users.
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