Cyberattack at University of Copenhagen exposed data on 525,000 people

Hackers accessed personal information belonging to about 525,000 people in a cyberattack on the University of Copenhagen, the university said in a statement Friday evening, DR reported.

The database contains identifiable information, including full names, civil registration numbers, work and private phone numbers, and private email addresses. The university is analysing the precise scope of the incident.

The attack was reported to the Data Protection Agency, and other relevant authorities are being kept informed. The university said the attack was discovered on Tuesday and was then brought under control.

The Ministry of Societal Security and Preparedness and the Agency for Societal Safety said authorities are monitoring cyber incidents at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University.

“The incidents once again underline that the cyber threat against Denmark is serious,” Minister for Societal Security and Preparedness Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen said in a written comment to Ritzau. The agency generally assesses that Danish universities face a threat from cyberattacks, in part because they are at the forefront of research in several fields, she said. Universities are actively working to counter the threat, she added.

Aarhus University said on Thursday that it had been hit by a hacking attack.