The University of Copenhagen in Denmark has confirmed a data breach that exposed personal information belonging to approximately 525,000 people after hackers gained access to one of its test environments.
The university detected the cyberattack on October 20 and publicly disclosed the incident later that week. A subsequent update revealed that PIN codes belonging to another 20,000 staff members and students had also been exposed, raising concerns about the potential impact on people connected to the institution.
According to the university, the compromised database contained personally identifiable information, including full names, Danish national identification numbers, telephone numbers and personal email addresses. The investigation is ongoing, and the university has not yet established the full extent of the breach.
The university said it had brought the incident under control and blocked the attackers’ access. So far, there is no evidence that the hackers accessed systems supporting the university’s day-to-day operations or disrupted its activities.
The exposure of PIN codes has prompted additional security measures on campus. The university restricted physical access to certain critical locations as a precaution and has been gradually reopening those areas as new access codes are distributed.
The incident has also been reported to Denmark’s Data Protection Agency. The university said it is handling the case under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is working with the relevant authorities while investigating what happened.
The exposed personal information could be used in phishing campaigns and social engineering attacks. People whose information may have been compromised should be cautious of unexpected emails, phone calls and messages claiming to come from the university or other trusted organizations. They should independently verify requests for personal information and avoid sharing sensitive details in response to unsolicited communications.
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The University of Copenhagen said it would provide further information as its investigation progresses. The incident highlights the risks organizations face when sensitive personal information is accessible through systems used for testing and development.
