University data breaches in East Asia

Recent cyberattacks targeting educational institutions in South Korea and Japan have resulted in the exposure of personal information.

At Pukyong National University in South Korea, an unauthorized party exploited vulnerabilities in the ‘Campus e-Moa System’ to create an unapproved administrator account. The breach, which occurred between December 17 and December 18, compromised the data of 5,108 individuals, including students and staff. Leaked details include names, student IDs, tuition amounts, and contact information. The university reported the incident to the police and the Ministry of Education.

In Japan, Saga University reported that a ransomware attack in late September may have leaked the personal records of approximately 80,000 students and faculty members. The compromised data potentially includes names, dates of birth, addresses, and phone numbers. Additionally, the university’s affiliated hospital reported that patient information, such as diagnoses and medical visit dates, may have been exposed. University officials stated they were subjected to extortion during the attack and are working with the Saga Prefectural Police to investigate.