Columbia University warns group about private data stolen months after ‘politically motivated’ hack | EUROtoday

A politically motivated hacker compromised delicate private data, together with Social Security numbers and delivery dates, final 12 months once they breached Columbia University’s laptop techniques, the college instructed members of its group.

“The affected data included your name, date of birth, and Social Security number, as well as any personal information that you provided in connection with your application to Columbia, or that we collected during your studies if you enrolled,” Columbia wrote in a Monday e mail obtained by The Independent. “This includes your contact details, demographic information, academic history, financial aid-related information, and any insurance-related information and health information.”

The college added that it was not conscious of any id theft or fraud associated to the breach, and that it has applied new safeguards throughout its techniques. Columbia can be providing college students free credit score monitoring and id restoration companies.

The Independent has contacted Columbia concerning the extent of the breach.

On or round May 15, 2025, an unauthorized third-party gained entry to Columbia’s system and took recordsdata.

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During the hack, college laptop techniques went down, and a smiling picture of Donald Trump appeared on some college laptop screens.

The college stated in July the breach seemed to be the “highly sophisticated” work of a “hactivist,” geared toward “furthering their political agenda.”

The hack occurred whereas the college was negotiating with the Trump administration to revive a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in federal funds that have been pulled amid allegations of campus antisemitism and discrimination.

A hacker taking credit score for the assault instructed Bloomberg they stole the data to see if Columbia was nonetheless utilizing race-conscious affirmative motion in its admissions, a apply the Supreme Court struck down in 2023.

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The hacker claimed to have stolen knowledge tied to college students, workers, and candidates comprising monetary support packages, worker pay, and at the least 1.8 million Social Security numbers.

The college engaged each the FBI and the cybersecurity agency CrowdStrike to analyze what occurred inside its techniques.

The breach reportedly impacted about 870,000 individuals, Bloomberg reported, citing draft notices Columbia despatched to state officers.

In July of 2025, Columbia settled with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay over $220 million and alter its admissions insurance policies, rent sure forms of school, and put sure restrictions and monitoring in place round campus protest.