Princeton University reports phone phishing attack exposing student, alumni and donor data
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Princeton University reports a data breach on November 10, 2025, that compromised a database containing information about alumni, donors, students, and other community members.
The breach was caused by a phone phishing attack that targeted a university employee with access to the database. Princeton detected the intrusion and removed the attackers from its systems within 24 hours. Officials claim they believe no other Princeton technology systems were compromised during the incident. The university has contacted law enforcement and is conducting an ongoing investigation that may take several weeks to complete.
The compromised data includes:
- Names
- Email addresses
- Telephone numbers
- Physical addresses
- Fundraising activities records
- Donation records to the university
- Engagement activities information
The number of individuals affected by the breach has not been disclosed.
Princeton sent notifications to affected individuals, including students, alumni, donors, faculty, and parents, urging them to be careful for unusual communications claiming to come from the university.
The university advised recipients to verify the legitimacy of any suspicious communications with a known university contact before clicking links or downloading attachments.
