NYU data breach exposes 3 Million applicants' personal info
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A significant data breach occurred at New York University (NYU) when hackers took control of the university's website for at least two hours on Saturday morning. The incident was used to expose sensitive information of over 3 million applicants dating back to at least 1989.
The hackers, identifying themselves as "Computer Niggy Exploitation," displayed three charts on the hacked page claiming to show NYU's average admitted SAT scores, ACT scores, and GPAs for the 2024-25 admissions cycle.
The hacked page linked multiple CSV files containing sensitive information including:
- Names of over 3 million admitted students
- Test scores
- Chosen majors
- City and zip codes
- Citizenship status
- Common Application data
- Financial aid information
- Rejected students' information
- Early Decision application details
- Personal information about siblings and parents
NYU spokesperson John Beckman stated around 2 p.m. that the university's IT team responded immediately to the "malicious hackers" and that the redirected webpage "has been brought to a halt." The university reported the hack to law enforcement, took steps to ensure the attackers were removed from their systems, and began reviewing university systems to strengthen security.
