A hacker successfully penetrated Columbia University’s admissions database and extracted personal information from 2.5 million student applications over multiple decades, according to reporting on the incident.
The breach occurred as part of what university officials describe as a “hacktivist” operation targeting the Ivy League institution’s continued use of race-based admissions policies.
The perpetrator accessed 1.6 gigabytes of sensitive student data during the infiltration, which included university identification numbers, citizenship information and admissions decisions spanning years of application cycles.
Columbia University joins a growing list of higher education institutions that have fallen victim to sophisticated cyberattacks targeting their digital infrastructure and confidential records.
The university experienced a comprehensive information technology shutdown on June 24 that prevented students and faculty from accessing email systems and other critical university services for nearly one week.
The disruption lasted until June 29, when university administrators announced that normal operations had resumed across campus systems.
The New York Times reported that during the outage period, computer screens throughout the university displayed an image of President Donald Trump smiling, including monitors located in high-traffic areas such as the student center.
University officials confirmed that the system disruption resulted from unauthorized access by an external party who gained entry to restricted portions of the network infrastructure.
The hacker communicated directly with Bloomberg News via text message, explaining that the operation specifically targeted Columbia to investigate whether the institution continues implementing affirmative action policies following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling.
The cybercriminal’s stated motivation suggests a deliberate attempt to expose potential violations of federal law regarding race-based admissions practices at elite universities.
This targeted approach differs from typical ransomware attacks or data breaches motivated by financial gain, instead appearing focused on political activism through illegal means.
The Supreme Court decision effectively prohibited colleges and universities from considering race as a factor in admissions decisions, fundamentally altering how higher education institutions evaluate prospective students.
Columbia administrators acknowledged that preliminary analysis indicates data theft occurred during the breach, though they cautioned that determining the complete scope of compromised information may require weeks or months of investigation.
The university enlisted cybersecurity specialists immediately following the discovery of the unauthorized access to conduct a thorough examination of affected systems.
Columbia officials stated they have not detected any further malicious activity on their network since June 24, but continue monitoring for additional security threats.
The institution plans to notify the university community and any individuals whose personal information was compromised once investigators complete their assessment of the breach’s full impact.
The timing of the cyberattack coincides with ongoing national debates about race-conscious admissions practices at elite universities following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision.
The breach occurred during a period when many prestigious institutions have faced increased scrutiny regarding their compliance with new legal restrictions on admissions practices, The Post Millennial highlighted.
Federal agencies and civil rights organizations have intensified monitoring of university admissions processes to ensure adherence to the Supreme Court’s ruling prohibiting race-based considerations.
Higher education institutions across the country have faced scrutiny regarding their compliance with the new legal restrictions on considering race in admissions processes.
The stolen data potentially contains evidence of how Columbia has modified its admissions.
The post Hacktivist Infiltrates Columbia University, Steals 2.5M Student Records to Expose Illegal Affirmative Action Practices, Then Trolls With Epic Trump Meme appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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