Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Columbia students’ data stolen in politically motivated cyberattack, university says
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jul 2, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jul 2, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A hacker broke into Columbia University’s IT systems last week and stole student data in what officials said was a politically motivated cyberattack.
A university official told Gothamist on Wednesday that the June 24 breach was carried out by a highly sophisticated “hacktivist” who appeared to target specific documents. The incident caused technical outages that temporarily locked students and faculty out of university systems, the officials said. Some operations remained compromised for days.
During the disruption, television screens across Columbia’s Morningside campus in Harlem reportedly displayed images of President Donald Trump, according to the Columbia Spectator, the school’s student newspaper.
A hacker later claimed responsibility in a statement to Bloomberg News, which reported reviewing a 1.6-gigabyte cache of stolen files. The outlet said the data included identification numbers, citizenship status and admissions decisions for more than 2 million applicants.
The purported hacker told Bloomberg the goal was to locate any documents that suggested Columbia continued using affirmative action in its admissions process, despite a Supreme Court ruling last year that banned the practice.
The breach comes amid ongoing tensions between Columbia and the Trump administration, which recently pulled $400 million in federal funding from the university over what it called inaction against antisemitism on campus.
Columbia said it had quickly restored most of its systems and is working with a top-tier cyberforensics firm to assess the scope of the breach. Officials said it could take weeks or months to fully determine what data was stolen and whom it affected.
A Columbia spokesperson said the school still investigating the extent of the data theft and plans to notify the university community, including anyone whose personal information may have been compromised.
The school said it has not observed any further suspicious activity since June 24 but is continuing to monitor its network.
Separately, NYU also reported a cyberattack in June in which multiple Social Security numbers were stolen from individuals on campus.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Tagged
Politics
education
manhattan
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NJ Gov. Sherrill: Election is secure, noncitizens taken off voter rolls
The governor made the comments in the October edition of "Ask Governor Sherrill" on WNYC.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 7:42 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 27, 2026 at 11:14 p.m. ET
Ex-NYPD officer again faces murder charge in George Washington Bridge shooting
The charge against him was upgraded following an “extensive investigation,” the DA’s office said.
By
Samantha Max
News
Ex-NYPD officer again faces murder charge in George Washington Bridge shooting
The charge against him was upgraded following an “extensive investigation,” the DA’s office said.
By
Samantha Max
Former NYC buildings boss helped reopen mayor's favored restaurant despite health violations
By
David Brand
1 killed, 4 others injured at Elizabeth, NJ vigil shooting
By
Catalina Gonella
Police arrest man in Queens stabbings that ended with officer shooting woman
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .