Phoenix University Major Data Breach Involving Details of 35 lakh+ People -

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“A huge data breach has happened at Phoenix University, including 35 lakhs people’s details.”

Once again, there is a significant cyber threat to the higher education sector. The University of Phoenix has verified that about 3.49 million people’s data was compromised in a recent breach, including:

Students,
Alumni,
Faculty,
Staff, and
Certain External Partners.

The institution discovered the infiltration on November 21 after its name surfaced on a public leak site, but the incursion is said to have started in August. Regulatory papers made the incident official in December.

According to cyber experts, this might end up being one of the biggest breaches of higher education data in recent memory.

Oracle systems were the target of a zero-day entry

According to preliminary research, a zero-day vulnerability in the Oracle E-Business Suite, a crucial system for sensitive data and financial processes, was exploited by attackers.

Researchers

The attack is similar to attacks previously linked to the Clop ransomware organization, although it seems to have focused on large-scale data exfiltration rather than locking computers.

The vulnerability, known as CVE-2025-61882, may have been actively exploited since early August.

What details might have been revealed?

The following databases are thought to have been accessed:

Full names
Contact details
Dates of birth
Social Security numbers
Bank account and routing numbers

Experts caution that the risk of identity theft, illicit financial activities, and highly targeted phishing assaults is greatly increased by such information.

Identity protection services are the university’s answer

The University of Phoenix has established assistance programs for those impacted, such as:

12 months of credit monitoring
Identity-theft recovery assistance
Dark-web monitoring
Fraud reimbursement coverage of up to about ₹8.3 crore

The special redemption code found in notification mailings is necessary for access.

A component of a larger campaign?

The intrusion may be connected to a larger cyber operation, according to analysts. Clop has previously taken advantage of flaws in the following platforms:

GoAnywhere,
Accellion FTA, and
MOVEit.

Numerous prestigious universities have also looked at Oracle-related accidents, including Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the U.S. State Department has offered prizes of up to about ₹83 crore for information about activities connected to Clop.

Why do people find universities appealing?

Higher education establishments frequently keep the following in one location:

Student records
Financial aid and payroll data
Donor and alumni databases

Because a single breach can result in extensive and long-lasting exposure, cybercriminal organizations find colleges to be quite attractive.

Do this first if you believe you might be impacted.

Examine each official notice email or letter carefully.
Sign up for the identity-protection services that are being offered.
Regularly check your credit card and bank statements.
Think about putting a credit freeze in place.
Be cautious when responding to calls or emails that mention the hack.
Make sure all software and gadgets are up to date.

The more general conclusion

Such incidents demonstrate that the consequences of vital platforms harboring ignored vulnerabilities go well beyond IT, affecting policy, finances, and confidence.

Identity-protection technologies can be useful, but robust cyber governance, openness, and ongoing oversight are the true solutions.

About The Author

Suraj Koli is a content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity & information security. He has written many amazing articles related to cybersecurity concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “Him.”

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