A former student from Western Sydney University has been charged in connection with a series of significant cyber attacks that impacted hundreds of staff and students. Since 2021, the university has experienced multiple incidents of cyber breaches involving unauthorized access, data theft, system compromises, and other misuse of its infrastructure. Notably, there were threats regarding the sale of student information on the dark web.
Following extensive investigations, authorities identified the person behind these attacks as a 27-year-old woman who had previously attended the university. Police executed a search warrant at her residence in Kingswood, where they discovered various computer equipment and mobile devices.
The woman has since been charged with 20 offences, which include hacking, fraud, and blackmail-related charges. She was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court today.
Police allege that her cyber activities began with the exploitation of the university’s systems to obtain unauthorized discounted parking on campus. However, as the situation escalated, she allegedly manipulated her academic records and made threats to sell private student data on the dark web.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to explore the full extent of the alleged cyber attacks on the university.