Australian National University hacked, 19 years of sensitive data stolen

A top Australian university with close ties to the country’s government and security services on Tuesday said it had been the victim of a vast hack by a “sophisticated operator” who gained access to 19 years of sensitive data.

Last year, ANU said it had spent several months trying to repel attempts to access its systems, leading some media to local report they had been compromised by Chinese hackers. Beijing, for its part, has consistently denied involvement in hacking attacks.

In a message to staff and students, the Australian National University (ANU) did not say who was believed to be behind the cyber intrusion, which is thought to have started in late 2018. But vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt said the data accessed included “names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, personal email addresses and emergency contact details, tax file numbers, payroll information, bank account details, and passport details”. The hack also breached student academic records.

“In late 2018, a sophisticated operator accessed our systems illegally. We detected the breach two weeks ago,” Schmidt said. “We’re working closely with Australian government security agencies and industry security partners to investigate further.”

“The University has taken immediate precautions to further strengthen our IT security and is working continuously to build on these precautions to reduce the risk of future intrusion.”

ANU is backed by the federal government and is one of Australia’s foremost research and teaching universities. It started as a research institution after the second world war, but today also teaches tens of thousands of students each year, including former prime ministers, cabinet officials and civil servants.