Columbia, UWA Hit by Major Cybersecurity Incidents

Columbia University experienced a major data breach in May 2025, compromising sensitive personal, financial, and health information of nearly 870,000 current and former students, employees, and applicants. Hackers accessed Social Security numbers, bank account details, academic records, standardized test scores, GPAs, and contact information. The breach was discovered after a June system outage, leading to an investigation involving law enforcement and external cybersecurity experts. Columbia University stated that patient records from its medical center were not affected, and impacted individuals are being offered free credit monitoring and identity theft protection. Separately, the University of Western Australia reported a cybersecurity incident that led to a campus-wide password reset, though no other data was found to be compromised. These events highlight mounting concerns over the security of personal data at universities.