Harvard University, one of the world's most prestigious educational institutions, has confirmed it fell victim to a significant cybersecurity incident for the second time within a single year. The latest attack compromised sensitive information belonging to alumni, donors, and certain students and faculty members.
Details of the Cybersecurity Breach
The Ivy League school disclosed that an unauthorized party gained access to a database containing personal information through a sophisticated phone phishing attack. According to university officials, the exposed data includes personal contact information, donation history, and other records related to fundraising and alumni engagement.
This marks the second major security incident for Harvard in recent months. The university had previously investigated a separate data compromise in October, and now faces renewed concerns about its cybersecurity infrastructure.
Harvard's Response and Investigation
In an official statement to Bloomberg, Tim Bailey, Director of Communications at Harvard University Information Technology, confirmed that the institution "acted immediately to remove the attacker's access to our systems and prevent further unauthorized access."
Bailey further added that Harvard is "working with third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to investigate this incident." Despite these efforts, the university acknowledged that it has not yet identified any possible suspects responsible for the latest cyberattack.
Growing Trend of University Cyberattacks
Harvard is not alone in facing these security challenges. Several other major US educational institutions have been targeted by hackers in recent months, with Ivy League schools appearing particularly vulnerable.
Earlier this month, Princeton University announced that one of its databases containing information on alumni, donors, students and other community members was compromised. In October, the University of Pennsylvania discovered that information systems related to development and alumni activities had been exposed.
The situation became more concerning when Columbia University revealed in June that it was investigating a hack that compromised personal information of approximately 870,000 people, including students and applicants according to the school's reports to state officials.
Harvard, being the oldest and wealthiest university in the United States with annual fundraising often exceeding $1 billion, represents a particularly attractive target for cybercriminals. The repeated security breaches at elite educational institutions highlight the growing sophistication of phishing attacks and the ongoing challenges in protecting sensitive personal and financial data in the academic sector.
