Nottingham University data breach affects over 450,000 students
The University of Nottingham experienced a significant data breach affecting over 450,000 current and former students due to a cyberattack by the ShinyHunters extortion group. The attackers gained access to student records containing sensitive personal and financial information, including names, addresses, and payment details. This incident highlights vulnerabilities in PeopleSoft systems and underscores the growing threat of targeted attacks against educational institutions.
The University of Nottingham was targeted by the ShinyHunters group, who breached its student record system and exfiltrated over 40GB of data. This data included student finance information, billing details, credit card information, and campus portal exports, impacting both current and alumni students. The university is currently conducting a forensic investigation with the assistance of a third-party vendor, and has reported the incident to relevant authorities including Action Fraud and the Information Commissioner's Office. The attack is part of a broader campaign by ShinyHunters, who have previously targeted over 100 organizations globally, exploiting vulnerabilities in Oracle PeopleSoft instances.