University of Sydney Reports Data Breach – Source: heimdalsecurity.com

The University of Sydney (USYD) has reported a data breach involving a third-party service provider, leading to the exposure of personal information for a subset of international applicants. The breach did not affect local students, staff, alumni, or donors.

Upon detecting the breach, USYD promptly initiated an investigation. Their findings indicate that the breach was confined to a specific platform, and fortunately, other University systems remained unaffected.

The details of the accessed data and the nature of the attack on the third-party service have not been made public by the University, explains Security Affairs.

The breach appears to pertain to a limited segment of international students and applicants. We are in the process of gauging the full extent of this incident and are reaching out to the impacted students. We advise students and concerned applicants to adopt best practices to safeguard their information.

USYD’s Official Statement (Source)

To date, there’s no evidence suggesting misuse of the compromised personal information.

In response to the incident, USYD has informed the necessary cyber security entities and the NSW Privacy Commissioner. They’ve urged students to stay alert to potential phishing threats and any unsolicited communication through email, text messages, or phone calls.

USYD’s data breach announcement is available here.

Education, Increasingly Targeted in Cyberattacks

Educational institutions have become more and more targeted recently. In the last two months universities such as the University of Manchester and the University of Michigan were also confronted with cyber incidents that affected their operations.

If you want to learn more about cybersecurity in the educational system, check out my colleague Cristian’s article on this subject: Shielding Learning: The Power of Cybersecurity in Education.

If you liked this piece, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for more cybersecurity news and topics.