Columbia University has suffered a massive data breach, with a hacker reportedly stealing 460 gigabytes of sensitive data on millions of current and former students, applicants, and employees. The breach, first reported by Bloomberg News, includes Social Security numbers, admissions records, and financial aid details.
The hacker, described as a “hacktivist” with political motivations, claims to have spent two months infiltrating Columbia’s servers, eventually obtaining privileged access. A sample of the stolen data—1.6 gigabytes representing 2.5 million applications—was verified by Bloomberg against the records of eight Columbia students and alumni. The information matched details including citizenship status, academic programs, and admissions decisions.
Columbia has confirmed the breach and is working with cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to investigate. University officials say the full scope of the incident may take weeks or months to determine. The data spans decades and includes university-issued IDs, citizenship information, and even the pay details of employees and family members.
The breach occurs as Columbia is under federal scrutiny. The Trump administration has frozen $400 million in research funding to the university, citing antisemitism and diversity-related concerns. Internal university communications, revealed separately by Breitbart News, show Columbia’s president suggesting a Jewish board member be replaced with an “Arab,” raising further questions about the school’s leadership and priorities.
Unverified reports also suggest that socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani may have misrepresented his racial identity on a Columbia application. While these claims remain unconfirmed, the hacked data could add fuel to ongoing debates over identity politics and affirmative action in elite college admissions.
The same hacker claims responsibility for previous breaches at NYU and the University of Minnesota. Columbia has pledged to notify affected individuals once the investigation is complete.
