The University of Manchester is dealing with a cyber security incident after detecting unauthorised activity on its network.
The university has started an investigation & is collaborating with in-house experts & external support to resolve the incident & to establish which data may well have been affected.
It is also collaborating with relevant authorities, including the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), & other regulatory bodies.
London Stock Exchange
In a statement issued to the London Stock Exchange, the university stated that a further update will be provided “as & when appropriate”.
Patrick Hackett, Registrar, Secretary & Chief Operating Officer at the university, shared a release with staff & students: “Regrettably, I have to share with you the news that the university is the victim of a cyber incident.
“It has been confirmed that some of our systems have been accessed by an unauthorised party & data have likely been copied.
Expert External Support
“Our in-house experts & established expert external support are working around the clock to resolve this incident. We are working to understand what data have been accessed & will update you as more information becomes available.
“As you would expect, we are also working with the relevant authorities, including the Information Commissioner’s Office, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the National Crime Agency & other regulatory bodies.
“We know this will cause concern to members of our community & we are very sorry for this.
Priority
“Our priority is to resolve this issue & provide information to those affected as soon as we are able to, & we are focusing all available resources.
“You should be vigilant to any suspicious phishing emails.”
The university has also outlined that it does not believe the cyber-criminal activity it has suffered is the work of the same or associated perpetrators of the hacks at MoveIT & Zellis.
British Airways & Boots
Some global companies including British Airways & Boots warned their staff about a cyber-attack that has compromised personal information. The hack has suspected links to a Russian-speaking cybercrime gang called Clop, states a report in The Telegraph.
This incident relates to a vulnerability in a piece of software called MOVEit Transfer, used by 1,000s of companies world-wide to transfer files, which could be exploited by cyber criminals.
The UK’s leading payroll provider Zellis explained that 8 of its customers were affected by the “global issue”, which may have exposed personal information, which include names, addresses, & banking details.
No Indicators
A university spokesperson revealed:
“At this time & with a high degree of confidence, we have no indicators to believe that the cyber-criminal activity suffered by The University of Manchester is the work of the same or associated perpetrators of the hacks at MoveIT & Zellis.
We continue to assess this assessment, working with NCSC, NCA, JISC, external specialist partners.”
