Columbia University Hit by Major Data Breach, Hacker Exposes Sensitive Admissions Data
Columbia University faced a significant systemwide outage on June 24, with an alleged hacker claiming responsibility. The breach, affecting 2.5 million applications, has raised concerns about data security and admissions transparency.
The outage exposed sensitive information, including university-issued IDs, citizenship status, application decisions, and academic programs. While names, Social Security numbers, and birth dates were not compromised, the data was confirmed accurate by eight current and former students.
Columbia University has engaged cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to investigate the breach, which is suspected to be the work of a hacktivist. The stolen data could potentially fuel concerns about diversity in admissions, as the university is negotiating a settlement with the Trump administration over frozen federal funding.
The hacking group likely responsible is ShinyHunters, who have been linked to previous cybersecurity incidents at the University of Minnesota and New York University. The alleged hacker seeks to expose affirmative action policies in Columbia's admissions following a 2023 Supreme Court decision.
Columbia University is investigating a data breach affecting 2.5 million applications. The stolen data, while not including personal identifiers, could impact admissions transparency. The suspected hacking group, ShinyHunters, has targeted other universities in the past. The investigation continues.
