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In January 2025, a wave of cyberattacks swept across various sectors, with universities and education technology providers among the hardest hit. Incidents ranged from ransomware attacks and data breaches to sophisticated malware infections. Notably, the University of Oklahoma was forced to isolate its systems after detecting unusual activity, while PowerSchool, a major provider of educational technology services, experienced a massive data breach impacting over 62 million students.
In this article, we take a closer look at several major cyberattacks from January 2025 that targeted the academic sector.
Cyberattack forces Dutch university to cancel lectures
Eindhoven University of Technology has cancelled “lectures and other educational activities” following a cyberattack. However, it is expected to have only a limited impact as teaching is reduced while students prepare for exams.
In a statement on Sunday, January 12, the Dutch university said it had shut down its network after detecting the attack at around 9 p.m. on Saturday but stressed its IT staff still have access to all systems and are investigating. Students have been told the disruption would last on Monday and an update would be provided on Tuesday.
More: https://therecord.media/tu-eindhoven-cyberattack-lectures-canceled
2 Maine School Districts Hit by Cyberattacks
South Portland Public Schools took its network offline after a data breach on Sunday, January 5, and Cumberland Police Department investigated a phishing attack from outside the U.S. that used the email of a student from MSAD 51.
More: https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/2-maine-school-districts-hit-by-cyber-attacks
Cyberattack on the Bundeswehr University Munich
A computer centre at the Bundeswehr University in Munich was successfully attacked in mid-January. The university has been battling a cyberattack for three weeks. ‘According to current knowledge, the attackers have gained access to a central IT service of the data centre,’ confirmed a spokesperson for the Bundeswehr's Cyber and Information Space Command (CIR).
More: https://www.heise.de/news/Cyberattacke-auf-die-Universitaet-der-Bundeswehr-Muenchen-10281927.html
University of Oklahoma isolates systems after ‘unusual activity’ on IT network
The University of Oklahoma said it is taking steps to address unusual cyber activity it discovered on its network.
The school, which has more than 34,000 students, appeared on the leak site of a ransomware gang on Tuesday, January 14, with the group claiming to have stolen 91 MB of data that allegedly includes employee data, financial information and more.
The ransomware gang that claimed to be behind the University of Oklahoma incident has repeatedly targeted higher education institutions by exploiting compromised VPN credentials, according to experts.
The group, known as Fog, emerged in May 2024 and cybersecurity researchers at Arctic Wolf said all victim organizations listed on the gang’s website were located in the United States, with 80% in the education sector.
More: https://therecord.media/university-of-oklahoma-isolates-systems-unusual-activity
Thousands impacted by university cyberattack at WSU, Australia
A recent cyberattack affecting Western Sydney University has resulted in the exposure of sensitive personal data belonging to thousands of students and staff.
The institution has revealed multiple cybersecurity breaches across two years, prompting widespread concern within the university community. One of the most recent incidents occurred between January and February 2025, when a single sign-on (SSO) system used for accessing university services was compromised. This breach allowed unauthorised access to the demographic, enrolment, and academic progression data of approximately 10,000 current and former students.
More: https://izoologic.com/region/australia/thousands-impacted-by-university-cyberattack-at-wsu/