180,000 pieces of personal info leaked from Sogang University in hacking attack

Sogang University in Seoul fell victim to a hacking attack, resulting in the unauthorized release of approximately 180,000 personal details of students, graduates, faculty members, and others, officials announced on Saturday. The former President Park Geun-hye, who graduated from the institution with a degree in electronics engineering in 1974, is presumed to be among those impacted.

The university disclosed that certain data was leaked due to an unknown external breach targeting its integrated login account information system. The compromised data encompasses student identification numbers, names, affiliations, mobile phone numbers, and passwords.

University officials were alerted to the attack on Friday, a full three days after it transpired. In response, the institution promptly blocked the IP address implicated in the breach, implemented emergency safeguards, and reported the incident to both the Personal Information Protection Commission and the education ministry. Emergency response efforts have since been finalized, and the university is currently conducting a thorough examination of potential vulnerabilities within its internal server.

Collaboration with an external cybersecurity firm is underway to fortify security measures and mitigate any further compromise. These efforts include enhancing the monitoring system to bolster the university's overall cybersecurity posture. The university remains vigilant in its response to this security incident, working diligently to protect the affected individuals' data and prevent future breaches.