The University of Wollongong (UOW) has acknowledged that there was a cyber incident that affected its systems and probably allowed unauthorized users to access data.

The university stated that although the attack was discovered and stopped on December 7, both employees and students were impacted.

The university said that the incident is now under control and that investigations are still underway in a statement.

According to the statement, “The University of Wollongong (UOW) has identified a cyber security incident within our systems.”

“Data was probably accessed when the incident was discovered and contained yesterday.

We are attempting to ascertain the origin and scope of the problem. While we evaluate any possible additional impact, we are carrying on with our regular business.

What information was probably accessed and in what quantity are currently unknown? The nature of the attack, its objectives, such as monetary gain via a ransomware attack, and how the threat actors obtained access are also unknown.

As this issue evolves, we’re determined to keep teachers and students informed and up to date.

In addition, the university is in contact with the appropriate authorities and regulators and has enlisted the assistance of outside specialists.

The university stated, “As the situation changes, we will provide updates.”

According to the University of Wollongong, there was a cyberattack that likely gained access to staff and/or student data.

Data breach disclosed by UoW

A data breach that surfaced over the weekend is being contained by the University of Wollongong.

The university informed us that employees and students could have been impacted by the hack.

According to a statement the university sent us, while it is “likely that data was accessed,” the incident was “discovered and contained yesterday” (Sunday, December 10).

The cause of the data breach and the potential number of victims were not disclosed by the university.

“We are conducting research to determine the origin and scope of the problem. As we evaluate any possible additional impact, we are carrying on with our regular business,” the university stated.

“We are dedicated to providing staff and students with timely updates and information as this situation evolves.”

Now, Under the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Linkage Projects Scheme, a $445,000 grant has been given to a project led by the University of Wollongong (UOW) to strengthen defenses against adversarial machine-learning attacks against unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

The project is in line with the critical and emerging technologies promotion and protection strategy of the Australian Government.

Leading the project is Distinguished Professor Willy Susilo, a globally recognized authority on cryptography and cyber security, who promised to employ cutting-edge strategies to protect unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems against attacks that take advantage of flaws in machine learning models.

Increasing the dependable use of UAVs for logistics and transportation services is just one of the many advantages that come with building strong defenses for UAV systems.

In order to support urban and regional communities, Professor Susilo stated that “the improved security of UAV systems resulting from this research will facilitate the reliable adoption of UAVs.”

According to the statement, authorities and regulators have been informed, and the university has enlisted the assistance of outside specialists.