Penn State Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 20, 2024
In September 2012, Penn State University's College of Engineering experienced a data breach involving multiple cyberattacks, with at least one believed to originate from a foreign country. The breach was discovered years later, and while there was no evidence of stolen sensitive information, some login credentials were compromised. The college's network was disconnected from the internet, and a significant effort was made to securely restore all systems.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 18,000 individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included College of Engineering-issued usernames and passwords, but no evidence of stolen research data or personally identifiable information was found.
How was Penn State hacked?
The cyberattack on Penn State University's College of Engineering involved covert, targeted methods to gain access to the system, employing sophisticated evasion techniques to remain undetected. Hackers used a combination of modified publicly available tools and custom malware, with at least one of the attacks originating from China. The breach compromised numerous College of Engineering-issued usernames and passwords, impacting around 18,000 individuals. The full extent of the breach and the attackers' intentions remain unclear.
Penn State's solution
In response to the hacking incident, Penn State took several measures to enhance security and prevent future breaches. The university disconnected the College of Engineering's network from the internet and initiated a large-scale operation to securely recover all systems. Faculty, staff, and students were required to choose new passwords, and two-factor authentication was implemented for remote access through a virtual private network.
How do I know if I was affected?
Penn State University reached out to the affected individuals in the College of Engineering data breach. If you were part of the College of Engineering community during the time of the breach and did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or service provider immediately.
For more specific help and instructions related to Penn State's data breach, please contact Penn State Support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Penn State data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
Penn State Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 20, 2024
In September 2012, Penn State University's College of Engineering experienced a data breach involving multiple cyberattacks, with at least one believed to originate from a foreign country. The breach was discovered years later, and while there was no evidence of stolen sensitive information, some login credentials were compromised. The college's network was disconnected from the internet, and a significant effort was made to securely restore all systems.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 18,000 individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included College of Engineering-issued usernames and passwords, but no evidence of stolen research data or personally identifiable information was found.
How was Penn State hacked?
The cyberattack on Penn State University's College of Engineering involved covert, targeted methods to gain access to the system, employing sophisticated evasion techniques to remain undetected. Hackers used a combination of modified publicly available tools and custom malware, with at least one of the attacks originating from China. The breach compromised numerous College of Engineering-issued usernames and passwords, impacting around 18,000 individuals. The full extent of the breach and the attackers' intentions remain unclear.
Penn State's solution
In response to the hacking incident, Penn State took several measures to enhance security and prevent future breaches. The university disconnected the College of Engineering's network from the internet and initiated a large-scale operation to securely recover all systems. Faculty, staff, and students were required to choose new passwords, and two-factor authentication was implemented for remote access through a virtual private network.
How do I know if I was affected?
Penn State University reached out to the affected individuals in the College of Engineering data breach. If you were part of the College of Engineering community during the time of the breach and did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or service provider immediately.
For more specific help and instructions related to Penn State's data breach, please contact Penn State Support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Penn State data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
Penn State Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 20, 2024
In September 2012, Penn State University's College of Engineering experienced a data breach involving multiple cyberattacks, with at least one believed to originate from a foreign country. The breach was discovered years later, and while there was no evidence of stolen sensitive information, some login credentials were compromised. The college's network was disconnected from the internet, and a significant effort was made to securely restore all systems.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 18,000 individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included College of Engineering-issued usernames and passwords, but no evidence of stolen research data or personally identifiable information was found.
How was Penn State hacked?
The cyberattack on Penn State University's College of Engineering involved covert, targeted methods to gain access to the system, employing sophisticated evasion techniques to remain undetected. Hackers used a combination of modified publicly available tools and custom malware, with at least one of the attacks originating from China. The breach compromised numerous College of Engineering-issued usernames and passwords, impacting around 18,000 individuals. The full extent of the breach and the attackers' intentions remain unclear.
Penn State's solution
In response to the hacking incident, Penn State took several measures to enhance security and prevent future breaches. The university disconnected the College of Engineering's network from the internet and initiated a large-scale operation to securely recover all systems. Faculty, staff, and students were required to choose new passwords, and two-factor authentication was implemented for remote access through a virtual private network.
How do I know if I was affected?
Penn State University reached out to the affected individuals in the College of Engineering data breach. If you were part of the College of Engineering community during the time of the breach and did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or service provider immediately.
For more specific help and instructions related to Penn State's data breach, please contact Penn State Support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Penn State data breach, check out the following news articles:
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