U of M investigating claimed data breach
U of M investigating claimed data breach
A university spokesperson said the alleged breach dates back to 2021 and earlier, and that all those potentially impacted are being contacted.
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MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota confirms that it has contacted law enforcement and is investigating a claimed data breach that officials became aware of just a month ago.
U of M spokesman Jake Ricker released a statement to KARE 11 saying on July 21 school administrators became aware that an "unauthorized party" claimed to possess sensitive data reportedly taken from the institution's computer systems. Ricker says an investigation was launched as soon as the claim was discovered, local law enforcement was contacted and state and federal regulators were also notified.
The statement says the 'U' retained outside global forensics experts to check whether claims of a breach are valid and ensure the University’s computer systems are secure.
"Alongside experts, the University has taken steps since 2021 to bolster its overall system security through actions such as enhancing multi-factor authentication capabilities and increasing the frequency of monitoring activities," the statement says. "The University has also run additional scans that did not reveal ongoing suspicious activity related to the incident."
Ricker says preliminary findings suggest the data that may be compromised dates back to 2021 and earlier. He says the U of M will be notifying individuals who might be impacted by the claimed breach and providing resources to help prevent misuse of their information.
The statement did not shed light on the size of the claimed breach, or detail who or how many people may be impacted.
Tech blog "thecyberexpress.com" first reported on a potential U of M data breach last month.
They reported that in a July 15th post on the dark web, a hacker claimed to have accessed the University of Minnesota data warehouse containing records since 1989 and extracted information including 7 million unique social security numbers.
"The statement from the University seems to confirm that yes, a breach has occurred," said Mark Lanterman, the Chief Technology Officer at Computer Forensic Services.
Lanterman said so far, there has been no evidence publicly or on the dark web that this is a Ransomware attack, such as the one affecting Minneapolis Public Schools earlier this year.
"My guess is they probably don't know how extensive this data breach is," Lanterman said.
The U has retained a firm to help them investigate the scope of the breach and firm up security. Pus they say law enforcement is notified and they'll participate in any criminal investigations.
"Everybody should be concerned. Because even if you are a former student or staff member, you still have data in the university systems probably," said former U of M regent Michael Hsu.
Hsu said the U increased data security in 2021, which came a few years after another breach affecting professors.
"There were some professors who were concerned their tax records may have been stolen," Hsu said.
Lanterman said anyone potentially affected by the new breach is to put a freeze on your credit reports to prevent new credit being opened in your name.
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A university spokesperson said the alleged breach dates back to 2021 and earlier, and that all those potentially impacted are being contacted.
NEXT UP IN 5
Comedian Josh Gondelman on Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart, Kristaps Porzingis, Tommy Heinsohn & more
Park HS football blazes player safety trail
Author: Dana Thiede, Lou Raguse
Published: 10:30 AM CDT August 22, 2023
Updated: 6:22 PM CDT August 22, 2023
Facebook Twitter
MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota confirms that it has contacted law enforcement and is investigating a claimed data breach that officials became aware of just a month ago.
U of M spokesman Jake Ricker released a statement to KARE 11 saying on July 21 school administrators became aware that an "unauthorized party" claimed to possess sensitive data reportedly taken from the institution's computer systems. Ricker says an investigation was launched as soon as the claim was discovered, local law enforcement was contacted and state and federal regulators were also notified.
The statement says the 'U' retained outside global forensics experts to check whether claims of a breach are valid and ensure the University’s computer systems are secure.
"Alongside experts, the University has taken steps since 2021 to bolster its overall system security through actions such as enhancing multi-factor authentication capabilities and increasing the frequency of monitoring activities," the statement says. "The University has also run additional scans that did not reveal ongoing suspicious activity related to the incident."
Ricker says preliminary findings suggest the data that may be compromised dates back to 2021 and earlier. He says the U of M will be notifying individuals who might be impacted by the claimed breach and providing resources to help prevent misuse of their information.
The statement did not shed light on the size of the claimed breach, or detail who or how many people may be impacted.
Tech blog "thecyberexpress.com" first reported on a potential U of M data breach last month.
They reported that in a July 15th post on the dark web, a hacker claimed to have accessed the University of Minnesota data warehouse containing records since 1989 and extracted information including 7 million unique social security numbers.
"The statement from the University seems to confirm that yes, a breach has occurred," said Mark Lanterman, the Chief Technology Officer at Computer Forensic Services.
Lanterman said so far, there has been no evidence publicly or on the dark web that this is a Ransomware attack, such as the one affecting Minneapolis Public Schools earlier this year.
"My guess is they probably don't know how extensive this data breach is," Lanterman said.
The U has retained a firm to help them investigate the scope of the breach and firm up security. Pus they say law enforcement is notified and they'll participate in any criminal investigations.
"Everybody should be concerned. Because even if you are a former student or staff member, you still have data in the university systems probably," said former U of M regent Michael Hsu.
Hsu said the U increased data security in 2021, which came a few years after another breach affecting professors.
"There were some professors who were concerned their tax records may have been stolen," Hsu said.
Lanterman said anyone potentially affected by the new breach is to put a freeze on your credit reports to prevent new credit being opened in your name.
Related Articles
T-Mobile says data on 37 million customers stolen
Data breach impacts MN Department of Education
Five months after attack, lawyer says MPS hasn't contacted hacking victims
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
