Ethical Hacking News
Harvard University has announced that it was targeted in a vishing breach that exposed sensitive contact information of alumni, donors, students, staff, and their families. The breach occurred when threat actors accessed the university's Alumni Affairs and Development systems through a phone-based phishing attack. The incident highlights the ongoing threat of cybercrime and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.
Harvard University has disclosed a phishing breach that exposed sensitive contact information of alumni, donors, students, staff, and their families. The breach occurred through a phone-based phishing attack on the university's Alumni Affairs and Development systems. Sensitive data including email addresses, telephone numbers, and event attendance were accessed by attackers. Law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity experts are assisting in the investigation. The university has notified affected individuals and advised them to verify unusual requests from suspicious communications.
Harvard University has recently disclosed a vishing breach that exposed sensitive contact information of alumni, donors, students, staff, and their families. The breach occurred when threat actors accessed the university's Alumni Affairs and Development systems through a phone-based phishing attack.
The breach, which was discovered on November 18, 2025, revealed that the attackers had gained access to personal data such as email addresses, telephone numbers, home and business addresses, event attendance, and details of donations. However, it is worth noting that the breached systems did not contain any sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, passwords, or financial account numbers.
In response to the breach, Harvard University launched an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement agencies. The university also sent data breach notifications to the affected individuals, advising them to be vigilant for suspicious communications that appear to come from the University.
Harvard officials believe that the breach exposed information belonging to alumni, spouses, partners, and widows or widowers of alumni; university donors; parents of current and former students; and some current students, faculty, and staff. The university has urged individuals to verify any unusual requests using a trusted, independent source rather than responding to the contact details provided in a suspicious message.
The breach is not an isolated incident, as Harvard University had previously confirmed that it was targeted in an Oracle E-Business Suite campaign in mid-October 2025. The cybercrime group claimed to have leaked 1.3 TB of data allegedly stolen from the university, but the institute attempted to downplay the incident, explaining that the security breach appears to be limited to a small administrative unit.
The attackers exploited a recently patched vulnerability in the Oracle E-Business Suite software, which is used by many organizations around the world. The use of this type of attack highlights the importance of keeping software up-to-date and using robust cybersecurity measures to protect against such threats.
The incident serves as a reminder that even prestigious institutions like Harvard University can fall victim to cyber attacks. It also underscores the need for individuals and organizations to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect themselves from such breaches.
In recent months, there have been several high-profile data breaches that have exposed sensitive information belonging to individuals and organizations. These incidents highlight the ongoing threat of cybercrime and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.
The breach at Harvard University is just one example of how vishing attacks can be used to expose sensitive contact information. Vishing attacks are a type of phishing attack that uses phone calls to trick victims into revealing sensitive information. The use of these types of attacks highlights the need for individuals and organizations to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect themselves from such breaches.
In conclusion, the breach at Harvard University serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat of cybercrime and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. It also highlights the need for individuals and organizations to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect themselves from vishing attacks and other types of phishing attacks.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Harvard-University-Vishing-Breach-Exposes-Alumni-and-Donor-Contact-Data-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/185034/security/harvard-reports-vishing-breach-exposing-alumni-and-donor-contact-data.html
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/harvard-university-discloses-data-breach-affecting-alumni-donors/
Published: Mon Nov 24 13:42:33 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
