According to reports from The Independent, the University of Manchester fell victim to a ransomware attack in which a dataset containing the information of 1.1 million patients from two hundred hospitals was compromised. Earlier this month, the university experienced a “cyber incident” that resulted in the theft of data belonging to students and graduates. Recently, students received an email from the attackers, threatening to release the stolen data unless the university paid the ransom.
Scope of the Data Breach
The Independent now reveals that information collected by the university for research purposes, including data on trauma patients and individuals treated after terrorist attacks, was also stolen. The attackers reportedly gained access to the backup servers. The attack resulted in the theft of approximately 250 gigabytes of data. The data breach has been reported to the UK privacy regulator, the ICO. The university has not provided further details regarding how the attack was carried out.
Note: The information provided is based on the news article, and additional developments or official statements may emerge over time.
