The University of Nottingham has been hit by a major cyber attack, with hackers gaining access to its student records system. The breach, which occurred at the end of May, potentially exposed contact information, course details, and financial data of students.
Cybercriminal Group Involved
The university confirmed that a well-known cybercriminal group, identified as the Shinyhunters, accessed a significant amount of data from the Campus Solutions platform. The breach was detected on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
Impact on Students and Staff
Following the discovery, the university took its system offline to investigate, causing disruption to exam marking. Staff members reported that the outage could severely affect the marking process if it continues into next week.
An email sent to affected students warned them to be vigilant against suspicious communications, especially those requesting financial information. Jason Carter, the university's chief governance and risk officer, described the incident as serious and apologized for the breach.
Data at Risk
It is believed that sensitive information such as National Insurance numbers and protected characteristics may have been stored in the compromised system. One staff member noted that the software contained 'everything' about students, potentially affecting thousands of individuals.
Response and Investigation
The University of Nottingham is working with a third-party platform maintainer to conduct a forensic investigation. The incident has been reported to Action Fraud and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO confirmed it is assessing the information provided.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) is also aware of the breach and is collaborating with partners to understand its impact.
Students are advised to change their passwords and remain cautious of any unsolicited requests for personal or financial information. The university has pledged to offer advice and support as more details emerge.
