Ethical Hacking News
Harvard University has disclosed a significant data breach that exposed personal information of over 500,000 individuals, including students, alumni, donors, staff, and faculty members. The breach occurred as a result of a voice phishing attack on the university's Alumni Affairs and Development systems. Despite the breach, Harvard officials assured that no Social Security numbers or financial info were compromised. However, the incident highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the need for individuals and organizations to be vigilant in preventing phishing attacks and safeguarding their personal data.
Over 500,000 individuals' personal information was exposed due to a voice phishing attack on Harvard University's systems. The affected information included email addresses, phone numbers, home and business addresses, event attendance records, donation details, and biographical information. No Social Security numbers, passwords, payment card information, or financial info were compromised. The university is investigating the incident and has sent data breach notifications to potentially affected individuals.
Harvard University has disclosed a data breach that exposed personal information of over 500,000 individuals, including students, alumni, donors, staff, and faculty members. The breach occurred as a result of a voice phishing attack on the university's Alumni Affairs and Development systems.
The affected individuals had their email addresses, telephone numbers, home and business addresses, event attendance records, donation details, and biographical information pertaining to University fundraising and alumni engagement activities exposed in the breach.
Despite the breach, Harvard officials assured that the compromised IT systems did not contain Social Security numbers, passwords, payment card information, or financial info. However, the university is still investigating the incident and has sent data breach notifications to individuals whose information may have been accessed in the attack.
Klara Jelinkova, Harvard's Vice President and University Chief Information Officer, stated that the university acted immediately to remove the attacker's access to its systems and prevent further unauthorized access. Jim Husson, the university's Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development, also expressed concern about the incident and urged potentially affected individuals to be suspicious of calls, text messages, or emails claiming to be from the university.
The breach comes as another blow to Harvard University's reputation, following a previous data breach in mid-October when the Clop ransomware gang added it to its data-leak extortion site. The university had also disclosed earlier this month that two other Ivy League schools, Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, were affected by data breaches.
The incident highlights the importance of cybersecurity measures in protecting sensitive information and emphasizes the need for individuals and organizations to be vigilant in preventing phishing attacks and safeguarding their personal data.
In light of this incident, it is essential to consider implementing robust security protocols, such as multi-factor authentication, to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. Additionally, individuals should be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls or messages that claim to be from the university, and report any suspicious activity immediately.
Furthermore, the breach serves as a reminder for organizations to conduct regular security audits and implement effective incident response plans to minimize the impact of data breaches.
As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for individuals and organizations to stay informed about emerging threats and take proactive steps to protect their personal data and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
In conclusion, Harvard University's data breach highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the need for individuals and organizations to be vigilant in preventing phishing attacks and safeguarding their personal data. By taking proactive steps to protect sensitive information and staying informed about emerging threats, we can reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/HARVARD-UNIVERSITY-DATA-BREACH-500000-PERSONAL-RECORDS-EXPOSED-IN-VOICE-PHISHING-ATTACK-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/harvard-university-discloses-data-breach-affecting-alumni-donors/
Published: Mon Nov 24 08:53:12 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
