Columbia U. Hit by ‘Hacktivist’ Exposing Sensitive Student Information

A hacker has stolen a vast trove of sensitive data from Columbia University, including personal information and application details of millions of current and former students, according to a Bloomberg News investigation.

Bloomberg reports that Columbia University has fallen victim to a massive data breach orchestrated by an alleged “hacktivist” who claims to have stolen 460 gigabytes of sensitive information. The stolen data, spanning decades, includes personal details of students and applicants, their university-issued identification numbers, citizenship status, admissions decisions, academic programs, and even Social Security numbers of employees and family members.

The alleged hacker, who spoke to Bloomberg News anonymously via text, provided a sample of 1.6 gigabytes of data, representing 2.5 million applications. Bloomberg was able to verify the accuracy of the information for eight Columbia students and alumni who had applied to the university between 2019 and 2024. The data matched their university-issued ID codes, gender, citizenship status, admissions decisions, and the academic programs they applied to.

Columbia University has acknowledged that data was indeed stolen, but the full scope of the breach is yet to be determined. The university is working with cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to investigate the incident, which could take weeks or even months to fully assess. Initial indications suggest that the perpetrator is a hacktivist, motivated by a political agenda rather than financial gain.

The alleged hacker claims to have spent over two months building access within Columbia’s servers, ultimately attaining the highest level of privileged access to the university’s data. The stolen information also includes financial aid packages and employee pay details.

Based on the hacked data, there have been allegations not yet confirmed by Breitbart News that socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani lied on his application to Columbia by labeling himself “Black Non-Hispanic.”

This data breach comes at a sensitive time for Columbia University, as it is currently negotiating a settlement with the Trump administration to unfreeze $400 million in federal research funding. The White House had previously blocked the funds, accusing the university of fostering antisemitism and has since broadened its attack on the Ivy League to include diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Breitbart News recently reported that Columbia’s president suggested a Jewish board member be replaced with an “Arab” in private chats:

“We need to get somebody from the middle east [sic] or who is Arab on our board,” Shipman said in a message sent on January 17, 2024. “Quickly I think. Somehow.”

Shipman told her colleagues a week later that Shoshana Shendelman, one of the board’s most outspoken critics of the disruptive anti-Israel protests taking place on campus, has been “extraordinarily unhelpful.”

“I just don’t think she should be on the board,” she said.

The leak of this data could potentially fuel concerns about diversity in Columbia’s admissions process, particularly in light of the 2023 Supreme Court decision that effectively barred affirmative action policies. However, the university maintains that its admissions processes are compliant with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The alleged hacker also claimed responsibility for previously disclosed cybersecurity incidents at the University of Minnesota and New York University. The University of Minnesota has confirmed that it believes someone gained unauthorized access to a school database in 2021, while New York University disclosed earlier this year that a hacker had accessed some of its IT systems and files containing Social Security numbers.

The university has stated that it will notify affected individuals once the scope of the breach has been determined. In the meantime, students, alumni, and employees are advised to remain vigilant and monitor their accounts for any suspicious activity.

Read more at Bloomberg here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.