The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly known as Georgia Tech, has disclosed a significant data breach affecting personal information of approximately 1.3 million individuals, including current and former faculty, students, staff, and applicants. The university confirmed in a brief announcement that an unauthorized external entity compromised one of its web applications, leveraging a vulnerability to gain access to its central database.
Upon reviewing the breach timeline, Georgia Tech indicated that the initial unauthorized access occurred on December 14, 2018. However, details on the duration of the attacker’s access to the sensitive database remain unclear. The compromised database houses critical information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, internal identification numbers, and dates of birth.
In response to the incident, the university has initiated a forensic investigation aimed at determining the extent of the breach. The university’s cybersecurity team stated that the unauthorized access was significant enough to warrant immediate action. Information retrieved from the system may contain highly sensitive data, prompting a thorough examination of the breach’s implications.
Georgia Tech’s IT team identified the web application’s vulnerability last month following noticeable performance degradation. Their investigation, commenced on March 21, 2019, revealed that the performance issues were linked to a security incident rather than a mere technical glitch.
Following the patching of the security vulnerability, Georgia Tech began notifying affected individuals through email and is collaborating with consumer reporting agencies alongside the University System of Georgia to establish protective measures for those impacted. Furthermore, the university has communicated its findings to the U.S. Department of Education and the University System of Georgia, indicating a commitment to transparency regarding the unfolding situation.
The ongoing investigation seeks to clarify the specifics surrounding the data exposure, and Georgia Tech has pledged to keep the affected individuals and community informed as more information becomes available. The university expressed regret for any potential repercussions resulting from this breach and emphasized its dedication to reassessing its security practices to prevent future incidents.
Given the circumstances, potential adversary tactics aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework could provide insight into the methods utilized in this attack. Techniques for initial access might include exploiting a web application vulnerability. Persistence could have been established through compromised accounts or malicious scripts. Privilege escalation could then have enabled the attackers to access sensitive personnel information within Georgia Tech’s centralized database.
As the investigation continues, Georgia Tech’s commitment to cybersecurity and proactive measures signals an ongoing response to this significant incident, underscoring the critical nature of robust security protocols in higher education institutions.
