Newcastle students’ data including home addresses leaked on dark web after cyber attack

Students at the Newcastle campus have not yet received any correspondence from the university


A range of documents including Newcastle University students’ data has been leaked onto the dark web following the cyberattack that disrupted the university’s IT systems in September.

The files were leaked by cybercrime group Doppelpaymer on October 12th and include a full list of students, their specific departments, courses and student numbers.

This leak furthermore includes files from Newcastle University’s Malaysia campus NUMed, containing additional student and staff information such as home addresses, phone numbers and personal email addresses.

The release of these documents follows the publication of subsidiary university documents on September 7th, which acted as proof that the cybercrime group had accessed the university’s server and obtained confidential documents.

According to a post on their dark web site in September, Doppelpaymer threatened to release more confidential student and staff data unless they received payment.

Screenshot of leaked student information found on dark web showing staff member’s address and telephone number

Screenshot of leaked student information found on dark web showing student’s home address, mobile phone number and email address

Screenshot of leaked student information found on the dark web showing students’ full names, departments and courses

Screenshot of leaked student information found on the dark web showing students’ full names and student numbers

DoppelPaymer has previously leaked documents from Elon Musk’s companies, SpaceX and Tesla, as well as NASA contractor, Digital Management Inc., in other ransom bids. The amount Newcastle University was being extorted for is unknown.

The Newcastle University student who found that these documents surfaced on the dark web told The Newcastle Tab: “I sent the university an anonymous email a week ago regarding the leak of documents on the dark web and didn’t receive any acknowledgement or response”.

Despite the email being sent seven days ago, students at Newcastle University’s Newcastle campus did not receive any correspondence from the university informing them that their names and data had been leaked onto the dark web.

A Newcastle University spokesperson said: “The investigation is ongoing and we cannot share further details until this has been concluded.”

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