A cyber breach at Western Sydney University has impacted 7,500 individuals.

An IT network breach has recently occurred at a university in Sydney’s west, impacting over 7,500 individuals. The university has notified the students about this cyber breach. Western Sydney University (WSU), with multiple campuses in the western suburbs of Sydney, issued a statement today regarding the breach.

The university initially discovered an unauthorised breach of its IT network in January 2024. The university promptly shut down the network and implemented the necessary security measures. After conducting an investigation, WSU discovered that the first recorded access occurred on May 17, 2023, using WSU’s Microsoft Office 365.

There has been unauthorised access to certain SharePoint files and emails, and it appears that WSU’s Solar Car Laboratory may have been involved in this incident. The university notified the 7,500 people affected by the breach and stated that there have been no reported threats to private information.

“The university has not received any demands in exchange for maintaining privacy,” WSU stated.

The NSW Police and the NSW Information and Privacy Commission are collaborating with WSU as the investigation continues. WSU’s interim vice chancellor, Clare Pollock, expressed sympathy to those who were impacted by the cyber breach.

“On behalf of the university, I unreservedly apologise for this incident and its impact on our community. It is deeply regrettable, and we are committed to transparently rectifying the matter and fulfilling our obligations,” Professor Pollock said.

“We appreciate that this may be upsetting, and we are here to support you as we work through this together. We have established a dedicated phone line and website to answer any questions you might have.”

Newswire has reached out to the Department of Home Affairs for comment.

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