A politically motivated hacker compromised sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers and birth dates, last year when they breached Columbia University’s computer systems, the school told members of its community.
“The affected data included your name, date of birth, and Social Security number, as well as any personal information that you provided in connection with your application to Columbia, or that we collected during your studies if you enrolled,” Columbia wrote in a Monday email obtained by The Independent. “This includes your contact details, demographic information, academic history, financial aid-related information, and any insurance-related information and health information.”
The university added that it was not aware of any identity theft or fraud related to the breach, and that it has implemented new safeguards across its systems. Columbia is also offering students free credit monitoring and identity restoration services.
The Independent has contacted Columbia about the extent of the breach.
On or around May 15, 2025, an unauthorized third-party gained access to Columbia’s system and took files.
During the hack, university computer systems went down, and a smiling image of Donald Trump appeared on some university computer screens.
The university said in July the breach appeared to be the “highly sophisticated” work of a “hactivist,” aimed at “furthering their political agenda.”
The hack occurred while the university was negotiating with the Trump administration to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds that were pulled amid allegations of campus antisemitism and discrimination.
A hacker taking credit for the attack told Bloomberg they stole the information to see if Columbia was still using race-conscious affirmative action in its admissions, a practice the Supreme Court struck down in 2023.
The hacker claimed to have stolen data tied to students, employees, and applicants comprising financial aid packages, employee pay, and at least 1.8 million Social Security numbers.
The university engaged both the FBI and the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to investigate what happened inside its systems.
The breach reportedly impacted about 870,000 people, Bloomberg reported, citing draft notices Columbia sent to state officials.
In July of 2025, Columbia settled with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay over $220 million and change its admissions policies, hire certain types of faculty, and put certain restrictions and monitoring in place around campus protest.
