US EditionHackers Breach University of Pennsylvania School Emails, Send Offensive Messages, Threaten Admissions Leak
Hackers used multiple official Penn email accounts to send offensive messages aimed at reducing alumni donations, university officials confirmed ongoing investigation and mitigation efforts.
- On Friday, the University of Pennsylvania suffered a cybersecurity incident that sent offensive emails from multiple addresses, including the Penn Graduate School of Education, and Penn said its Incident Response team and Office of Information Security are `actively addressing` the situation.
- Evidence indicates an external email list was accessed beyond the university's control, and messages sent through connect.upenn.edu appear motivated to suppress alumni donors.
- Copies reviewed by BleepingComputer show the messages contained profane language and slurs, including claims of stolen data and data-leak threats citing FERPA violations.
- University officials apologized and said they are investigating and taking immediate steps to stop the messages, adding a website banner warning and urging recipients to mark phishing or delete emails, Penn GSE spokesperson said.
- The incident comes soon after University of Pennsylvania rebuffed the White House's Compact for Excellence in Higher Education, which would require abolishing affirmative action and capping international enrollment at 15%.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Offensive emails were sent from the official account of the University of Pennsylvania, which said it was due to a cyber attack.
Disparaging email sent to Penn students, alumni is fake, university says
University of Pennsylvania students and alumni received a fraudulent email Friday that criticized the Ivy League school as 'elite' and urged people against donating to it. Penn says it is working to address the issue.
University of Pennsylvania investigating apparent hack of its email systems
The University of Pennsylvania is investigating an apparent online security breach Friday after emails from accounts linked to the Ivy League institution’s Graduate School of Education were sent around to students, alumni, faculty, parents and individuals outside the university community. “A fraudulent email has been circulated that appears to come from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education,” a Penn spokesperson responded…
Hackers send crass fake email to UPenn alumni, students: ‘We have terrible security practices’
A mass email sent Friday to the University of Pennsylvania community called the Ivy League school an “elitist institution” with terrible security practices, according to a copy of the email shared with PennLive.The email, sent on Penn Graduate School of Education (GSE) letterhead, also included expletives and a slur, and said UPenn “love[s] breaking federal laws.”
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