PEAR Ransomware Group Claims 16TB Data Theft from Monmouth University
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Monmouth University, located in New Jersey, confirmed a data breach in March 2026.
The PEAR ransomware group claims responsibility for infiltrating the university's servers and stealing approximately 16 terabytes of sensitive data. University President Patrick Leahy acknowledged the breach in a communication to students and staff, stating that the incident resulted in unauthorized access to certain information on the university network.
The compromised data includes:
- Student and staff personal information
- Internal university documents and administrative records
- Sensitive network information
- Financial or academic records (claimed by threat actor via sample images)
The number of affected individuals is not disclosed. The university has not confirmed the data accessed, nor has it disclosed any ransom demand or estimated financial damages. Monmouth University initiated internal security protocols and engaged an external cybersecurity firm to conduct a forensic investigation. The university officially notified the FBI and the U.S. Department of Education to assist in the matter.
