GoKawiilMount Royal University in Calgary says hackers stole and then deleted data from its file storage systems after breaching the university's network.
In an update published on its website, MRU states that it has engaged technical teams and external cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and to support recovery efforts following a cyberattack on June 17.
The incident disrupted a broad range of university systems, including online services, internet access, and certain internal systems.
MRU is a public university with a history of more than 100 years. It currently has 11,560 students and 12,500 undergraduates.
So far, the investigation confirmed that the attacker stole data stored on a drive used by students and employees for file storage, and the original copies were wiped to disrupt recovery operations.
“We regret to inform our community that our investigation has now shown that data within certain folders on the University’s “H drive” was accessed and taken by an unauthorized actor,” reads the announcement.
The university specified that the incident affected certain folders on the H drive, which contained information affecting current and former students, current and former employees of the university, and an unspecified category of “other individuals.”
Additionally, the attackers also wiped a separate drive, labeled “J,” which stored departmental data. “There is currently no evidence that J drive data was accessed or copied before it was deleted,” MRU says.
“We are still working to recover deleted J drive data, but a full recovery may not be possible.”
The university stated that the incident has been reported to the Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner and to law enforcement authorities.
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