Scotland's university procurement center confirms cybercrooks broke in

Scotland's university procurement center, Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC), has reported a cyberattack earlier this month. The mid-July incident saw unauthorized access to historical data. APUC swiftly contained the breach and is currently probing the extent of the intrusion, with assistance from external technical experts.

According to an APUC spokesperson, no operational disruptions to their regular functions have been reported. The unauthorized entity has reportedly asserted that they have obtained certain historic data from APUC systems. The organization is prioritizing this investigation and has notified the appropriate authorities, maintaining cooperation with them.

APUC serves as the procurement center of expertise for Scottish universities and colleges, one of eight entities within UK Universities Purchasing Consortia (UKUPC). They negotiate agreements with approved suppliers, enabling member institutions to procure goods and services via pre-vetted terms, known as Framework Agreements. These contracts, collectively worth millions, are arranged through APUC.

The cyberattack came to light when sources approached The Register with details about the incident. They claim APUC received an extortion demand from the cybercriminals, but this has not been independently verified. Reports suggest the perpetrators claimed to have stolen APUC data spanning two decades and gained administrative access via an employee account.

The Register has sought clarification from APUC regarding these allegations, the potential involvement of ransomware, and any inaccuracies in the information received. However, as of now, APUC has not responded to such inquiries. At the time of this report, APUC is not listed on any major ransomware or extortion groups' data leak sites.