University of Copenhagen Confirms Data Breach Affecting 525,000 Individuals
The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) has confirmed that a recent incident affecting its administrative systems is linked to a data breach disclosed last week. This breach has compromised personal data belonging to around 525,000 individuals. On Monday, the university took several administrative systems offline, including Workzone and Nimbus, as part of a preventive measure. Initially, UCPH believed that a new cyberattack had occurred, but further investigation revealed that the activity was related to the previously reported breach.
In an update, UCPH clarified that the preventive shutdown was necessary despite the revised assessment. The university emphasized that the systems remain disrupted due to the original cyberattack. The breach was first reported on October 23, after an intrusion was detected on October 20, which allowed attackers access to a test environment.
The compromised data includes names, national identity numbers, work and home phone numbers, and personal email addresses. UCPH is currently analyzing the full extent of the breach and has assured that there is no evidence that the attackers accessed systems critical to daily operations. Access to affected systems has been blocked, and staff are working diligently to assess the situation and prevent further incidents.
Approved for Dissemination
As the incident falls under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), UCPH has reported it to the Danish Data Protection Agency and is keeping relevant authorities informed. In a subsequent update on October 25, the university disclosed that the breach also involved the PIN codes for ID cards belonging to approximately 20,000 staff members and students. New PIN codes have since been issued to all affected individuals.
Following a security assessment, UCPH restricted physical access to certain areas on campus. With the new PIN codes in place, these locations have reopened, ensuring that security measures are maintained while the university continues to address the implications of the breach.
