QUT has announced that the confidential data of thousands of staff members has been exposed in a cyber attack.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has confirmed that the personal data of thousands of staff members have been compromised in a cyber attack. The university said it was alerted to the attack on its systems on April 15, and immediately launched an investigation into the incident.
The university said that the attack had resulted in unauthorized access to some staff members’ personal information, including names, dates of birth, contact details and payroll information.
QUT said it had notified the affected staff members and was providing them with support. It also said it had taken steps to strengthen its security systems and was working with external experts to investigate the incident further.
The university said it was committed to protecting the privacy of its staff and students, and would continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the security of its systems.
On December 22, a cyber attack led to university printers printing out numerous ransomware notes, and so the university had to take the precautionary measure of disabling several of its IT systems.
According to Professor Sheil, the note was supposedly from Royal ransomware, a well-known ransomware organization.
The note warned that unless a “modest royalty” was paid, one’s critical data, both encrypted and copied, could be published online.
In an email to students on Friday, Professor Sheil stated that the university is not aware of any illegal use or access of the compromised data at this time.
In an email, it was stated that QUT was taking all necessary actions to protect those who were impacted by the attack and reduce the risk of further illegal activity, as there is obvious concern that stored document files were accessed.
We are communicating directly with everyone who has been affected, providing assistance with services like IDCARE and Equifax, as well as access to independent identity protection and our own wellbeing support.
0 Comments