VIT Bhopal University, a leading academic institution in India, has allegedly been hit by a significant data breach, raising concerns among 8,000+ students and faculty alike.
The alleged VIT Bhopal Data Breach was first reported on June 10, 2024, on the notorious data hacking website BreachForums.The Threat Actor (TA) has claimed to have leaked valuable data, raising concerns about the security of sensitive student and faculty information.
VIT Bhopal was established in 2017 and is a deemed university located on the outskirts of Bhopal, the capital city of the state of Madhya Pradesh. The institution is authorized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which is a statutory organization of the Government of India for the maintenance of standards of teaching, examination, and research in university education.
VIT Bhopal ranks among the top universities in India. As per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking, it stands in 65th position amongst all the universities in India.
It offers specialized programs across various disciplines, including engineering, technology, management, and architecture. Streams like mechanical engineering, computer science and engineering, artificial intelligence and robotics are particularly popular among students pursuing higher education here.
According to a post on BreachForums, the threat actor has shared screenshots of the hack and claims to possess the following information:.
ID: Unique Identification number assigned to each student and faculty member of the university
Username: Login credentials of all the stakeholders used to access university portals, maintain and share records, post newsletters, and research materials confined to the institution.
Full name: First and last name of the students and faculty of VIT Bhopal.
Email: This contains email addresses of stakeholders, which is the official mode of communication for announcements, course materials and student-faculty interactions.
Password: If this data is compromised, it poses significant risk as it could grant unauthorized access to personal accounts and university resources.
User Activation Key: This could be a unique code required for initial account activation or password resets.
The news of the alleged data breach has understandably caused anxiety among the current batch of students. They are worried over the threat of stolen passwords, emails, and information, including research material, being used for malicious purposes.
The students are worried of being vulnerable to targeted phishing attacks, where hackers use stolen email addresses to send data that appears to be from legitimate sources, such as the university administration. These emails might trick students into revealing their personal data or clicking on malicious links that could infect their devices with malware.
The university has yet to react to the alleged data breach. There is no clarity yet on the extent of the breach, the extent of the information compromised, or the steps taken by the university to address the situation. The article will be updated once there is any public information shared by the university.
While the university investigates the situation, students and staff can take a few healthy steps to protect themselves. This includes being wary of phishing attempts by hackers, monitoring suspicious links, and keeping an eye out for any unusual activity on their accounts, such as unauthorized login attempts or changes to their profile information.
They can also enhance their security measures by enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and change their passwords regularly.
Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.