Company Details
penn-admissions
8
2,230
6113
admissions.upenn.edu
0
PEN_2482962
In-progress

Penn Admissions Company CyberSecurity Posture
admissions.upenn.eduFirst things first: We’re the University of Pennsylvania (aka Penn), an Ivy League research university founded by Ben Franklin in the heart of Philadelphia. Did that sound stuffy? It felt stuffy. Here’s what we’re really about: Penn is a place for people who want to do something big. But it’s also for people for who want to try a bunch of little things first. It’s a place for sparking revolutionary ideas. For pioneering thinkers. And it’s a place that will help you figure out what inspires and excites you. Where you won’t just gain knowledge, you’ll make it. You’ll research solutions, invent ideas, engineer art – all in a culture that’s not about perfection, but about perfecting the pursuit. The people who love it here? People who are drawn to other people and who are curious about everything. This is the time to figure things out. Try everything that seems worthwhile. You’ll find what truly is. Sound like the place for you? Then we can’t wait to meet you.
Company Details
penn-admissions
8
2,230
6113
admissions.upenn.edu
0
PEN_2482962
In-progress
Between 0 and 549

Penn Admissions Global Score (TPRM)XXXX

Description: In October 2025, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) suffered a cybersecurity breach where hackers gained unauthorized access to systems supporting development and alumni activities. The attackers used stolen credentials obtained through **social engineering (phishing/identity impersonation)**, compromising thousands of pages of internal files. The exposed data included sensitive information about **donors, alumni, and students**, though the article does not specify whether financial records (e.g., bank statements, credit cards) or highly sensitive personal identifiers (e.g., National Insurance numbers) were stolen.The breach triggered **multiple class-action lawsuits**, with plaintiffs alleging Penn failed to adequately protect personal data and delayed notifications to affected individuals. While the university implemented mandatory cybersecurity training for all faculty, staff, and student workers, the incident underscored systemic vulnerabilities. The breach’s fallout included potential **reputational damage**, legal repercussions, and operational disruptions (e.g., threatened loss of system access for non-compliant employees). No evidence suggests the attack involved ransomware, direct financial fraud, or physical harm, but the leak of internal files poses long-term risks to trust and institutional integrity.
Description: The University of Pennsylvania experienced a **cybersecurity breach** in late October 2023, where an anonymous hacker exploited **sophisticated social engineering (identity impersonation)** to gain unauthorized access to critical systems. The attacker compromised **Penn’s CRM (Salesforce), file repositories (SharePoint, Box), a reporting tool (QlikView), and Marketing Cloud**, exfiltrating sensitive data. Initially, the hacker claimed to have stolen records of **1.2 million students, alumni, and donors**, including **personal information, donor memos, bank transaction receipts, and details of high-profile individuals like former President Joe Biden’s family**. While Penn disputed the 1.2 million figure, forensic investigations remain ongoing, and the university confirmed **no evidence of fraudulent use of the data yet**.The breach triggered **multiple class-action lawsuits** alleging negligence in securing personal data. The attacker also sent **fraudulent emails** criticizing Penn’s hiring practices and urging recipients to halt donations. Penn contained the breach, reported it to the **FBI**, and warned the community about potential **phishing follow-ups**. The incident exposed systemic vulnerabilities, with **no medical records (Penn Medicine) compromised**, but the leaked data’s scope—including financial and personal details—poses **long-term reputational, legal, and operational risks** for the institution.
Description: The University of Pennsylvania confirmed a **massive data breach** on **November 5**, exposing **over 1.2 million records** of students, alumni, staff, and community affiliates. The breach originated from a **social engineering scam**, where attackers compromised systems linked to the university’s **development and alumni activities**. Stolen data includes **personally identifiable information (PII)**, some dating back decades, along with **banking details**, though no medical records were affected. Fraudulent emails were sent to members of the Penn community, impersonating the **Graduate School of Education (GSE)**, before the university locked down affected systems. The lack of **multifactor authentication (MFA)** on certain accounts was identified as a key vulnerability, enabling unauthorized access and data theft. The incident underscores the risks of **phishing attacks** and inadequate access controls in educational institutions, leading to **large-scale exposure of sensitive personal and financial data** with potential long-term repercussions for identity theft and fraud.
Description: On October 31, UPenn suffered a **data breach** where hackers claimed to have exfiltrated **1.2 million records**, including sensitive personal data of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (e.g., donors, former President Joe Biden), with birthdates dating back to the 1920s. The breach exploited **social engineering** via a compromised PennKey, allowing attackers to access the **Salesforce Marketing Cloud** and send a malicious email impersonating the Graduate School of Education. While the hackers’ primary motivation was **financial gain**—targeting wealthy donors—they also exposed internal criticisms of UPenn’s security practices and compliance violations (e.g., FERPA). The breach highlights vulnerabilities in UPenn’s **decentralized security infrastructure**, though the full scope of leaked data (e.g., Social Security numbers, financial records) remains unconfirmed pending investigation. The attack underscores risks to **reputation, financial fraud, and regulatory non-compliance**, with potential long-term consequences for trust in the institution.
Description: The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) experienced a data breach where hackers gained unauthorized access to its systems using stolen credentials, specifically targeting systems related to development and alumni activities. The breach resulted in inflammatory emails being sent to students, alumni, and faculty, raising concerns about the exposure of personal information. While the full extent of the compromised data remains under investigation, the incident has already led to a class-action lawsuit filed by a Penn graduate, alleging the university’s failure to adequately safeguard sensitive information. The breach has caused reputational damage and potential financial risks, as affected individuals may face fraud or identity theft. The university is actively working to assess the impact and mitigate further harm.


Penn Admissions has 479.71% more incidents than the average of same-industry companies with at least one recorded incident.
Penn Admissions has 525.0% more incidents than the average of all companies with at least one recorded incident.
Penn Admissions reported 4 incidents this year: 1 cyber attacks, 0 ransomware, 0 vulnerabilities, 3 data breaches, compared to industry peers with at least 1 incident.
Penn Admissions cyber incidents detection timeline including parent company and subsidiaries

First things first: We’re the University of Pennsylvania (aka Penn), an Ivy League research university founded by Ben Franklin in the heart of Philadelphia. Did that sound stuffy? It felt stuffy. Here’s what we’re really about: Penn is a place for people who want to do something big. But it’s also for people for who want to try a bunch of little things first. It’s a place for sparking revolutionary ideas. For pioneering thinkers. And it’s a place that will help you figure out what inspires and excites you. Where you won’t just gain knowledge, you’ll make it. You’ll research solutions, invent ideas, engineer art – all in a culture that’s not about perfection, but about perfecting the pursuit. The people who love it here? People who are drawn to other people and who are curious about everything. This is the time to figure things out. Try everything that seems worthwhile. You’ll find what truly is. Sound like the place for you? Then we can’t wait to meet you.


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The consolidated class action case would assume the name of the first plaintiff, 2014 College graduate Christopher Kelly, and include “all...
Among the thousands of files leaked in an Oct. 31 cybersecurity attack on Penn were several memos that appear to have been internally...
Cyber criminals who stole data from the University of Pennsylvania wrote an email crudely criticizing its admissions, alleging the...
University of Pennsylvania admits data theft after hackers sent taunting emails to alumni.
The University of Pennsylvania has confirmed a cybersecurity breach that compromised systems tied to its alumni and donor operations.
An apparent mass data breach and document leak have disrupted the University of Pennsylvania over the past five days, sparking a lawsuit and...
The hacker seemed focused on the Ivy League school's admissions preferences.
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A cybersecurity site heard from someone claiming to be the hacker over the weekend. The university has alerted the FBI.

Explore insights on cybersecurity incidents, risk posture, and Rankiteo's assessments.
The official website of Penn Admissions is admissions.upenn.edu.
According to Rankiteo, Penn Admissions’s AI-generated cybersecurity score is 419, reflecting their Critical security posture.
According to Rankiteo, Penn Admissions currently holds 0 security badges, indicating that no recognized compliance certifications are currently verified for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, Penn Admissions is not certified under SOC 2 Type 1.
According to Rankiteo, Penn Admissions does not hold a SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
According to Rankiteo, Penn Admissions is not listed as GDPR compliant.
According to Rankiteo, Penn Admissions does not currently maintain PCI DSS compliance.
According to Rankiteo, Penn Admissions is not compliant with HIPAA regulations.
According to Rankiteo,Penn Admissions is not certified under ISO 27001, indicating the absence of a formally recognized information security management framework.
Penn Admissions operates primarily in the Higher Education industry.
Penn Admissions employs approximately 8 people worldwide.
Penn Admissions presently has no subsidiaries across any sectors.
Penn Admissions’s official LinkedIn profile has approximately 2,230 followers.
Penn Admissions is classified under the NAICS code 6113, which corresponds to Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools.
No, Penn Admissions does not have a profile on Crunchbase.
Yes, Penn Admissions maintains an official LinkedIn profile, which is actively utilized for branding and talent engagement, which can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/penn-admissions.
As of December 04, 2025, Rankiteo reports that Penn Admissions has experienced 5 cybersecurity incidents.
Penn Admissions has an estimated 14,389 peer or competitor companies worldwide.
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred include Cyber Attack and Breach.
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through an containment measures with locked down affected systems, and communication strategy with public disclosure, email notifications to affected parties, and incident response plan activated with yes (ongoing investigation), and containment measures with investigation into salesforce marketing cloud access, containment measures with email spoofing mitigation, and communication strategy with email notification to affected parties (pending confirmation), communication strategy with public statements via media, and enhanced monitoring with likely (implied by ongoing investigation), and and and containment measures with breach contained (as stated by penn), and recovery measures with ongoing forensic investigation; planned notifications to affected individuals, and communication strategy with public information page with updates, communication strategy with warnings about phishing/suspicious emails, communication strategy with advisories to review credit reports and activate fraud alerts, and and remediation measures with mandatory cybersecurity training ('information security at penn: a practical guide') for all faculty, staff, and student workers by dec. 31, 2025, remediation measures with training modules include practical skills to recognize and prevent cybersecurity threats (e.g., phishing, suspicious calls), remediation measures with advisories on preventative measures (e.g., monitoring credit reports, fraud alerts, vigilance against personal information requests), and communication strategy with email notification signed by provost john jackson jr., executive vp mark dingfield, and interim cio josh beeman on nov. 20, 2025, communication strategy with public webpage advisories on protective measures, communication strategy with media statement to *the daily pennsylvanian* by interim cio josh beeman..
Title: University of Pennsylvania Data Breach and Suspicious Emails Incident
Description: Students, alumni, and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania received inflammatory emails from an apparent hacker. The breach involved stolen credentials used to access systems related to Penn's development and alumni activities. A class-action lawsuit has been filed, alleging the university failed to protect personal information.
Type: data breach
Attack Vector: stolen credentialsemail compromise
Title: University of Pennsylvania Data Breach
Description: The University of Pennsylvania confirmed a massive data breach on November 5, exposing the personal information of students, alumni, staff, and community affiliates. The breach involved over 1.2 million records, including PII and banking details (but no medical information). The attack began with a social engineering scam, and fraudulent emails were sent to the Penn community. Lack of multifactor authentication (MFA) was identified as a key vulnerability.
Date Detected: 2023-10-31
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2023-11-05
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Social Engineering, Phishing Emails
Vulnerability Exploited: Lack of Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
Motivation: Data Theft, Fraud
Title: University of Pennsylvania Data Breach (2025)
Description: On Oct. 31, 2025, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) experienced a data breach affecting an alleged 1.2 million records. Hackers exploited social engineering via a compromised PennKey to access the Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The breach included sensitive data of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, including former President Joe Biden. The hackers, motivated by financial gain, sent a derogatory email to UPenn students from a spoofed Graduate School of Education account. UPenn's decentralized structure and alleged poor cybersecurity practices were cited as contributing factors. The investigation remains ongoing, with UPenn unable to confirm the full scope of the breach.
Date Detected: 2025-10-31
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2025-10-31
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Social EngineeringImpersonation (PennKey)Exfiltration via Salesforce Marketing Cloud
Vulnerability Exploited: Poor Cybersecurity PracticesDecentralized Security CoordinationLack of Multi-Factor Authentication (implied)
Threat Actor: Unknown (self-described financially motivated hackers)Claimed affiliation: None
Motivation: Financial GainTargeting Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals (e.g., donors)
Title: Cybersecurity Breach at the University of Pennsylvania
Description: An anonymous hacker claimed to have compromised data for ~1.2 million students, donors, and alumni at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) via a sophisticated social engineering attack. The university disputed the 1.2 million figure, stating it was mischaracterized. The breach involved access to Penn’s CRM (Salesforce), file repositories (SharePoint, Box), a reporting application (Qlikview), and Marketing Cloud. Personal data, donor memos, bank transaction receipts, and information about former President Joe Biden’s granddaughter (a Penn student) were among the exposed records. The hacker planned to sell some data before public release. Over a dozen class-action lawsuits were filed alleging negligence in securing personal information. The FBI was notified, and the breach was contained. Penn warned the community about phishing risks and advised credit monitoring.
Date Detected: 2023-10-31
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2023-10-31
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Sophisticated identity impersonation (social engineering)
Vulnerability Exploited: Human error (deception of individuals into disclosing confidential information)
Threat Actor: Anonymous hacker (self-claimed)
Motivation: Financial gain (planned data sale)Activism (criticism of Penn’s hiring practices and donation policies)
Title: Cybersecurity Breach at University of Pennsylvania (Penn) Involving Stolen Credentials and Social Engineering
Description: On October 31, 2025, hackers accessed systems supporting Penn’s development and alumni activities using stolen credentials obtained through a sophisticated social engineering attack (identity impersonation). The breach exposed thousands of pages of internal University files, including data about donors, alumni, and students. The incident led to mandatory cybersecurity training for all faculty, staff, and student workers, as well as multiple class-action lawsuits alleging insufficient protection of sensitive personal information and untimely notification of affected individuals.
Date Detected: 2025-10-31
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2025-11-20
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Stolen CredentialsSocial Engineering (Identity Impersonation)Phishing (suspicious phone calls/emails)
Vulnerability Exploited: Human vulnerability to social engineering (phishing/impersonation)
Common Attack Types: The most common types of attacks the company has faced is Breach.
Identification of Attack Vectors: The company identifies the attack vectors used in incidents through stolen credentials, Social Engineering (phishing emails), PennKey (compromised credentials via social engineering), Social engineering (identity impersonation) and Stolen credentials via social engineering (identity impersonation).

Systems Affected: development systemsalumni activity systems
Customer Complaints: True
Legal Liabilities: class-action lawsuit filed
Identity Theft Risk: True

Data Compromised: Personally identifiable information (pii), Banking details
Systems Affected: Development and Alumni Activity Systems
Operational Impact: Fraudulent emails sent, systems locked down post-breach
Brand Reputation Impact: High (trust erosion among students, alumni, and affiliates)
Identity Theft Risk: High
Payment Information Risk: High

Data Compromised: Personal data (birthdates, names, etc.), Donor information, Potential ferpa violations (student records)
Systems Affected: Salesforce Marketing CloudUPenn Email System (spoofed Graduate School of Education account)
Operational Impact: Ongoing InvestigationReputation DamagePotential Legal Liabilities (FERPA violations)
Customer Complaints: ['Derogatory Email Sent to Students']
Brand Reputation Impact: Negative PublicityCriticism of Security PracticesPolitical Backlash (alleged DEI/affirmative action targeting)
Legal Liabilities: Potential FERPA ViolationsRegulatory Scrutiny
Identity Theft Risk: ['High (1.2M records allegedly exposed, including SSNs in prior incidents)']

Systems Affected: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - SalesforceFile repositories - SharePointFile repositories - BoxReporting application - QlikviewMarketing Cloud
Operational Impact: Ongoing forensic investigation; delayed notification to affected individuals
Customer Complaints: Multiple class-action lawsuits filed (14+ in federal/state courts)
Brand Reputation Impact: Significant (public dispute over breach scale, lawsuits, criticism of security practices)
Legal Liabilities: 14+ proposed class-action lawsuits (alleging failure to secure personal information)
Identity Theft Risk: Potential (Penn advised credit monitoring and fraud alerts)
Payment Information Risk: Yes (bank transaction receipts accessed)

Data Compromised: Internal university files, Donor data, Alumni data, Student data
Systems Affected: Systems supporting Penn’s development and alumni activities
Operational Impact: Mandatory cybersecurity training for all faculty/staffPotential loss of system access for non-compliant employeesClass-action lawsuits
Brand Reputation Impact: Negative publicityLoss of trust due to delayed notification and insufficient protection claims
Legal Liabilities: Multiple class-action lawsuits filedAllegations of failure to protect sensitive personal information and untimely notification
Identity Theft Risk: ['High (due to exposed personal data of donors, alumni, and students)']
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are Personal Information, , Pii, Banking Details, , Personal Identifiable Information (Pii), Donor Records, Student Records (Potential Ferpa Violations), Historical Data (Birthdates From 1920S), , Personal Information (Students, Alumni, Donors), Donor Memos And Family Details, Bank Transaction Receipts, Information About Former President Joe Biden’S Granddaughter, , Internal University Files, Donor Records, Alumni Records, Student Records and .

Entity Name: University of Pennsylvania
Entity Type: educational institution
Industry: higher education
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Customers Affected: students, alumni, faculty

Entity Name: University of Pennsylvania
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Education
Location: United States
Customers Affected: 1.2 million (students, alumni, staff, community affiliates)

Entity Name: University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Higher Education
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Size: Large (25,000+ students, $25B endowment in 2025)
Customers Affected: 1.2 million records (alleged; includes students, donors, faculty, alumni)

Entity Name: University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Higher Education
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Size: Large (22,000+ students, 100,000+ alumni/donors)
Customers Affected: Undetermined (initially claimed 1.2 million; Penn disputes this figure)

Entity Name: University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Higher Education
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Customers Affected: Donors, Alumni, Students, Faculty, Staff

Incident Response Plan Activated: True
Containment Measures: Locked down affected systems
Communication Strategy: Public disclosure, email notifications to affected parties

Incident Response Plan Activated: Yes (ongoing investigation)
Containment Measures: Investigation into Salesforce Marketing Cloud AccessEmail Spoofing Mitigation
Communication Strategy: Email Notification to Affected Parties (pending confirmation)Public Statements via Media
Enhanced Monitoring: Likely (implied by ongoing investigation)

Incident Response Plan Activated: True
Containment Measures: Breach contained (as stated by Penn)
Recovery Measures: Ongoing forensic investigation; planned notifications to affected individuals
Communication Strategy: Public information page with updatesWarnings about phishing/suspicious emailsAdvisories to review credit reports and activate fraud alerts

Incident Response Plan Activated: True
Remediation Measures: Mandatory cybersecurity training ('Information Security at Penn: A Practical Guide') for all faculty, staff, and student workers by Dec. 31, 2025Training modules include practical skills to recognize and prevent cybersecurity threats (e.g., phishing, suspicious calls)Advisories on preventative measures (e.g., monitoring credit reports, fraud alerts, vigilance against personal information requests)
Communication Strategy: Email notification signed by Provost John Jackson Jr., Executive VP Mark Dingfield, and Interim CIO Josh Beeman on Nov. 20, 2025Public webpage advisories on protective measuresMedia statement to *The Daily Pennsylvanian* by Interim CIO Josh Beeman
Incident Response Plan: The company's incident response plan is described as Yes (ongoing investigation), , .

Type of Data Compromised: Personal information

Type of Data Compromised: Pii, Banking details
Number of Records Exposed: 1.2 million
Sensitivity of Data: High (includes decades-old PII and financial data)

Type of Data Compromised: Personal identifiable information (pii), Donor records, Student records (potential ferpa violations), Historical data (birthdates from 1920s)
Number of Records Exposed: 1.2 million (alleged; unconfirmed by UPenn)
Sensitivity of Data: High (includes ultra-high-net-worth individuals, former President Joe Biden)
Data Exfiltration: Confirmed (via Salesforce Marketing Cloud)
File Types Exposed: Database RecordsEmail Lists
Personally Identifiable Information: NamesBirthdatesDonor DetailsPotential SSNs (based on prior Columbia University incident)

Type of Data Compromised: Personal information (students, alumni, donors), Donor memos and family details, Bank transaction receipts, Information about former president joe biden’s granddaughter
Number of Records Exposed: Undetermined (hacker claimed 1.2 million; Penn disputes this)
Sensitivity of Data: High (includes financial, personal, and donor data)
File Types Exposed: DocumentsMemosTransaction receipts

Type of Data Compromised: Internal university files, Donor records, Alumni records, Student records
Number of Records Exposed: Thousands of pages
Sensitivity of Data: High (includes personally identifiable information of donors, alumni, and students)
Prevention of Data Exfiltration: The company takes the following measures to prevent data exfiltration: Mandatory cybersecurity training ('Information Security at Penn: A Practical Guide') for all faculty, staff, and student workers by Dec. 31, 2025, Training modules include practical skills to recognize and prevent cybersecurity threats (e.g., phishing, suspicious calls), Advisories on preventative measures (e.g., monitoring credit reports, fraud alerts, vigilance against personal information requests), .
Handling of PII Incidents: The company handles incidents involving personally identifiable information (PII) through by locked down affected systems, , investigation into salesforce marketing cloud access, email spoofing mitigation, and breach contained (as stated by penn).

Data Exfiltration: Yes (but not ransomware-related)

Data Exfiltration: True

Data Exfiltration: True
Data Recovery from Ransomware: The company recovers data encrypted by ransomware through Ongoing forensic investigation; planned notifications to affected individuals.

Legal Actions: class-action lawsuit filed,

Regulations Violated: Potential FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) Violations,
Regulatory Notifications: Likely pending (FERPA, state data breach laws)

Legal Actions: 14+ proposed class-action lawsuits (federal/state courts)
Regulatory Notifications: FBI notified

Legal Actions: Multiple class-action lawsuits filed (petitioned for consolidation on Nov. 17, 2025), Plaintiffs allege failure to protect sensitive data and untimely notification,
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: The company ensures compliance with regulatory requirements through class-action lawsuit filed, , 14+ proposed class-action lawsuits (federal/state courts), Multiple class-action lawsuits filed (petitioned for consolidation on Nov. 17, 2025), Plaintiffs allege failure to protect sensitive data and untimely notification, .

Lessons Learned: Enforce multifactor authentication (MFA) across all accounts and implement stricter access controls to mitigate social engineering risks.

Lessons Learned: Decentralized security structures increase vulnerability., Social engineering remains a critical attack vector, especially in higher education., Balancing security measures with user convenience is challenging but necessary., Proactive ethical hacking (e.g., bug bounty programs) can identify vulnerabilities before exploitation.

Lessons Learned: Importance of vigilance against social engineering attacks (e.g., phishing, impersonation), Need for timely notification of affected individuals in data breaches, Critical role of mandatory cybersecurity training in mitigating human vulnerabilities

Recommendations: Enable MFA for all user accounts, Conduct regular security awareness training, Monitor for unauthorized access attemptsEnable MFA for all user accounts, Conduct regular security awareness training, Monitor for unauthorized access attemptsEnable MFA for all user accounts, Conduct regular security awareness training, Monitor for unauthorized access attempts

Recommendations: Implement stricter multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, especially cloud platforms like Salesforce., Centralize cybersecurity governance to improve coordination., Enhance employee and student training on phishing/social engineering (e.g., UPenn's DUST program)., Conduct regular third-party security audits., Monitor dark web for leaked credentials or data sales.Implement stricter multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, especially cloud platforms like Salesforce., Centralize cybersecurity governance to improve coordination., Enhance employee and student training on phishing/social engineering (e.g., UPenn's DUST program)., Conduct regular third-party security audits., Monitor dark web for leaked credentials or data sales.Implement stricter multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, especially cloud platforms like Salesforce., Centralize cybersecurity governance to improve coordination., Enhance employee and student training on phishing/social engineering (e.g., UPenn's DUST program)., Conduct regular third-party security audits., Monitor dark web for leaked credentials or data sales.Implement stricter multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, especially cloud platforms like Salesforce., Centralize cybersecurity governance to improve coordination., Enhance employee and student training on phishing/social engineering (e.g., UPenn's DUST program)., Conduct regular third-party security audits., Monitor dark web for leaked credentials or data sales.Implement stricter multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, especially cloud platforms like Salesforce., Centralize cybersecurity governance to improve coordination., Enhance employee and student training on phishing/social engineering (e.g., UPenn's DUST program)., Conduct regular third-party security audits., Monitor dark web for leaked credentials or data sales.

Recommendations: Enhance social engineering defenses (e.g., employee training, multi-factor authentication), Improve incident response timelines for forensic investigations, Proactive communication with stakeholders during breaches, Regular audits of third-party systems (e.g., Salesforce, SharePoint, Box)Enhance social engineering defenses (e.g., employee training, multi-factor authentication), Improve incident response timelines for forensic investigations, Proactive communication with stakeholders during breaches, Regular audits of third-party systems (e.g., Salesforce, SharePoint, Box)Enhance social engineering defenses (e.g., employee training, multi-factor authentication), Improve incident response timelines for forensic investigations, Proactive communication with stakeholders during breaches, Regular audits of third-party systems (e.g., Salesforce, SharePoint, Box)Enhance social engineering defenses (e.g., employee training, multi-factor authentication), Improve incident response timelines for forensic investigations, Proactive communication with stakeholders during breaches, Regular audits of third-party systems (e.g., Salesforce, SharePoint, Box)

Recommendations: Enhance multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, Implement continuous phishing simulation exercises for employees, Strengthen monitoring for suspicious login attempts using stolen credentials, Establish clearer protocols for timely breach disclosure and stakeholder communicationEnhance multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, Implement continuous phishing simulation exercises for employees, Strengthen monitoring for suspicious login attempts using stolen credentials, Establish clearer protocols for timely breach disclosure and stakeholder communicationEnhance multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, Implement continuous phishing simulation exercises for employees, Strengthen monitoring for suspicious login attempts using stolen credentials, Establish clearer protocols for timely breach disclosure and stakeholder communicationEnhance multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, Implement continuous phishing simulation exercises for employees, Strengthen monitoring for suspicious login attempts using stolen credentials, Establish clearer protocols for timely breach disclosure and stakeholder communication
Key Lessons Learned: The key lessons learned from past incidents are Enforce multifactor authentication (MFA) across all accounts and implement stricter access controls to mitigate social engineering risks.Decentralized security structures increase vulnerability.,Social engineering remains a critical attack vector, especially in higher education.,Balancing security measures with user convenience is challenging but necessary.,Proactive ethical hacking (e.g., bug bounty programs) can identify vulnerabilities before exploitation.Importance of vigilance against social engineering attacks (e.g., phishing, impersonation),Need for timely notification of affected individuals in data breaches,Critical role of mandatory cybersecurity training in mitigating human vulnerabilities.

Source: WPVI (6abc Action News)

Source: University of Pennsylvania Breach Notification

Source: The Triangle (Drexel University)
Date Accessed: 2025-10-31

Source: UPenn Public Statements (via email/media)
Date Accessed: 2025-10-31

Source: Daily Pennsylvanian (Penn’s student newspaper)

Source: University of Pennsylvania Incident Information Page

Source: The Daily Pennsylvanian

Source: University of Pennsylvania Email Notification (Nov. 20, 2025)

Source: Class-action lawsuit filings (consolidation petitioned on Nov. 17, 2025)
Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at and Source: WPVI (6abc Action News), and Source: University of Pennsylvania Breach Notification, and Source: The Triangle (Drexel University)Date Accessed: 2025-10-31, and Source: The VergeDate Accessed: 2025-10-31, and Source: UPenn Public Statements (via email/media)Date Accessed: 2025-10-31, and Source: The VergeUrl: https://www.theverge.com, and Source: Daily Pennsylvanian (Penn’s student newspaper)Url: https://www.thedp.com, and Source: University of Pennsylvania Incident Information Page, and Source: The Daily Pennsylvanian, and Source: University of Pennsylvania Email Notification (Nov. 20, 2025), and Source: Class-action lawsuit filings (consolidation petitioned on Nov. 17, 2025).

Investigation Status: ongoing (school is still determining what information was taken)

Investigation Status: Concluded (breach confirmed, systems secured)

Investigation Status: Ongoing (UPenn unable to confirm scope or full details)

Investigation Status: Ongoing (forensic analysis incomplete; no timeline provided)

Investigation Status: Ongoing (as of Nov. 2025, with lawsuits pending)
Communication of Investigation Status: The company communicates the status of incident investigations to stakeholders through Public disclosure, email notifications to affected parties, Email Notification To Affected Parties (Pending Confirmation), Public Statements Via Media, Public Information Page With Updates, Warnings About Phishing/Suspicious Emails, Advisories To Review Credit Reports And Activate Fraud Alerts, Email Notification Signed By Provost John Jackson Jr., Executive Vp Mark Dingfield, And Interim Cio Josh Beeman On Nov. 20, 2025, Public Webpage Advisories On Protective Measures and Media Statement To *The Daily Pennsylvanian* By Interim Cio Josh Beeman.

Customer Advisories: Emails sent to affected community members

Stakeholder Advisories: Upenn Students Notified Via Email (Spoofed Initially, Legitimate Advisories Pending).
Customer Advisories: General warning about phishing emails; specific advisories expected post-investigation

Stakeholder Advisories: Warnings About Phishing/Suspicious Emails, Advisories To Review Credit Reports And Activate Fraud Alerts.
Customer Advisories: Individuals to be notified once analysis is complete

Stakeholder Advisories: Mandatory Training Deadline (Dec. 31, 2025) With Potential System Access Revocation For Non-Compliance, Advisories On Credit Monitoring, Fraud Alerts, And Vigilance Against Identity Theft.
Customer Advisories: Donors, alumni, and students advised to monitor credit reports and place fraud alertsCommunity warned about suspicious requests for personal information
Advisories Provided: The company provides the following advisories to stakeholders and customers following an incident: were Emails sent to affected community members, Upenn Students Notified Via Email (Spoofed Initially, Legitimate Advisories Pending), General Warning About Phishing Emails; Specific Advisories Expected Post-Investigation, , Warnings About Phishing/Suspicious Emails, Advisories To Review Credit Reports And Activate Fraud Alerts, Individuals to be notified once analysis is complete, Mandatory Training Deadline (Dec. 31, 2025) With Potential System Access Revocation For Non-Compliance, Advisories On Credit Monitoring, Fraud Alerts, And Vigilance Against Identity Theft, Donors, Alumni, And Students Advised To Monitor Credit Reports And Place Fraud Alerts, Community Warned About Suspicious Requests For Personal Information and .

Entry Point: Stolen Credentials,
High Value Targets: Development And Alumni Activity Systems,
Data Sold on Dark Web: Development And Alumni Activity Systems,

Entry Point: Social Engineering (phishing emails)
High Value Targets: Development And Alumni Systems,
Data Sold on Dark Web: Development And Alumni Systems,

Entry Point: PennKey (compromised credentials via social engineering)
Backdoors Established: ['Persistent access to Salesforce Marketing Cloud (implied by valid session during email spoofing)']
High Value Targets: Ultra-High-Net-Worth Donors, Former President Joe Biden, Historical Records (1920S Data),
Data Sold on Dark Web: Ultra-High-Net-Worth Donors, Former President Joe Biden, Historical Records (1920S Data),

Entry Point: Social engineering (identity impersonation)
High Value Targets: Donor Data, Financial Records, Personal Information Of High-Profile Individuals (E.G., Joe Biden’S Granddaughter),
Data Sold on Dark Web: Donor Data, Financial Records, Personal Information Of High-Profile Individuals (E.G., Joe Biden’S Granddaughter),

Entry Point: Stolen credentials via social engineering (identity impersonation)
High Value Targets: Development And Alumni Systems, Donor/Alumni/Student Data,
Data Sold on Dark Web: Development And Alumni Systems, Donor/Alumni/Student Data,

Root Causes: Lack Of Mfa, Successful Social Engineering Attack,
Corrective Actions: System Lockdown, Public Disclosure,

Root Causes: Poor Cybersecurity Hygiene (E.G., Lack Of Mfa, Decentralized It), Successful Social Engineering (Pennkey Compromise), Inadequate Monitoring Of Cloud Platforms (Salesforce Marketing Cloud), Political/Cultural Tensions Exploited (E.G., Derogatory Email Content),
Corrective Actions: Upenn Likely To Overhaul Identity Management (E.G., Pennkey Protections)., Drexel Reviewing Security Controls To Prevent Similar Incidents., Increased Emphasis On Critical Thinking Training For Phishing (E.G., Drexel'S Dust Program).,

Root Causes: Successful social engineering attack exploiting human error

Root Causes: Successful Social Engineering Attack Leading To Credential Theft, Inadequate Protection Of Sensitive Personal Data, Delayed Notification To Affected Individuals,
Corrective Actions: Mandatory Cybersecurity Training For All Employees, Public Advisories On Protective Measures (E.G., Credit Monitoring), Legal Defense Against Class-Action Lawsuits,
Post-Incident Analysis Process: The company's process for conducting post-incident analysis is described as Likely (Implied By Ongoing Investigation), .
Corrective Actions Taken: The company has taken the following corrective actions based on post-incident analysis: System Lockdown, Public Disclosure, , Upenn Likely To Overhaul Identity Management (E.G., Pennkey Protections)., Drexel Reviewing Security Controls To Prevent Similar Incidents., Increased Emphasis On Critical Thinking Training For Phishing (E.G., Drexel'S Dust Program)., , Mandatory Cybersecurity Training For All Employees, Public Advisories On Protective Measures (E.G., Credit Monitoring), Legal Defense Against Class-Action Lawsuits, .
Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident were an Unknown (self-described financially motivated hackers)Claimed affiliation: None and Anonymous hacker (self-claimed).
Most Recent Incident Detected: The most recent incident detected was on 2023-10-31.
Most Recent Incident Publicly Disclosed: The most recent incident publicly disclosed was on 2025-11-20.
Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident were Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Banking Details, , Personal Data (birthdates, names, etc.), Donor Information, Potential FERPA Violations (student records), , , Internal University files, Donor data, Alumni data, Student data and .
Most Significant System Affected: The most significant system affected in an incident was development systemsalumni activity systems and Development and Alumni Activity Systems and Salesforce Marketing CloudUPenn Email System (spoofed Graduate School of Education account) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - SalesforceFile repositories - SharePointFile repositories - BoxReporting application - QlikviewMarketing Cloud and Systems supporting Penn’s development and alumni activities.
Containment Measures in Most Recent Incident: The containment measures taken in the most recent incident were Locked down affected systems, Investigation into Salesforce Marketing Cloud AccessEmail Spoofing Mitigation and Breach contained (as stated by Penn).
Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach were Personal Data (birthdates, names, etc.), Banking Details, Donor Information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Student data, Donor data, Alumni data, Potential FERPA Violations (student records) and Internal University files.
Number of Records Exposed in Most Significant Breach: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was 3.6M.
Most Significant Legal Action: The most significant legal action taken for a regulatory violation was class-action lawsuit filed, , 14+ proposed class-action lawsuits (federal/state courts), Multiple class-action lawsuits filed (petitioned for consolidation on Nov. 17, 2025), Plaintiffs allege failure to protect sensitive data and untimely notification, .
Most Significant Lesson Learned: The most significant lesson learned from past incidents was Critical role of mandatory cybersecurity training in mitigating human vulnerabilities.
Most Significant Recommendation Implemented: The most significant recommendation implemented to improve cybersecurity was Enhance employee and student training on phishing/social engineering (e.g., UPenn's DUST program)., Monitor dark web for leaked credentials or data sales., Enable MFA for all user accounts, Improve incident response timelines for forensic investigations, Monitor for unauthorized access attempts, Proactive communication with stakeholders during breaches, Strengthen monitoring for suspicious login attempts using stolen credentials, Implement stricter multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, especially cloud platforms like Salesforce., Enhance multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all systems, Conduct regular third-party security audits., Implement continuous phishing simulation exercises for employees, Establish clearer protocols for timely breach disclosure and stakeholder communication, Regular audits of third-party systems (e.g., Salesforce, SharePoint, Box), Conduct regular security awareness training, Enhance social engineering defenses (e.g., employee training, multi-factor authentication) and Centralize cybersecurity governance to improve coordination..
Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident are University of Pennsylvania Incident Information Page, University of Pennsylvania Email Notification (Nov. 20, 2025), The Triangle (Drexel University), The Verge, WPVI (6abc Action News), UPenn Public Statements (via email/media), The Daily Pennsylvanian, Daily Pennsylvanian (Penn’s student newspaper), University of Pennsylvania Breach Notification, Class-action lawsuit filings (consolidation petitioned on Nov. 17 and 2025).
Most Recent URL for Additional Resources: The most recent URL for additional resources on cybersecurity best practices is https://www.theverge.com, https://www.thedp.com .
Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is ongoing (school is still determining what information was taken).
Most Recent Stakeholder Advisory: The most recent stakeholder advisory issued was UPenn students notified via email (spoofed initially, legitimate advisories pending), Warnings about phishing/suspicious emails, Advisories to review credit reports and activate fraud alerts, Mandatory training deadline (Dec. 31, 2025) with potential system access revocation for non-compliance, Advisories on credit monitoring, fraud alerts, and vigilance against identity theft, .
Most Recent Customer Advisory: The most recent customer advisory issued were an Emails sent to affected community members, General warning about phishing emails; specific advisories expected post-investigation, Individuals to be notified once analysis is complete, Donors, alumni and and students advised to monitor credit reports and place fraud alertsCommunity warned about suspicious requests for personal information.
Most Recent Entry Point: The most recent entry point used by an initial access broker were an Social Engineering (phishing emails), Stolen credentials via social engineering (identity impersonation), PennKey (compromised credentials via social engineering) and Social engineering (identity impersonation).
Most Significant Root Cause: The most significant root cause identified in post-incident analysis was Lack of MFASuccessful social engineering attack, Poor cybersecurity hygiene (e.g., lack of MFA, decentralized IT)Successful social engineering (PennKey compromise)Inadequate monitoring of cloud platforms (Salesforce Marketing Cloud)Political/cultural tensions exploited (e.g., derogatory email content), Successful social engineering attack exploiting human error, Successful social engineering attack leading to credential theftInadequate protection of sensitive personal dataDelayed notification to affected individuals.
Most Significant Corrective Action: The most significant corrective action taken based on post-incident analysis was System lockdownPublic disclosure, UPenn likely to overhaul identity management (e.g., PennKey protections).Drexel reviewing security controls to prevent similar incidents.Increased emphasis on critical thinking training for phishing (e.g., Drexel's DUST program)., Mandatory cybersecurity training for all employeesPublic advisories on protective measures (e.g., credit monitoring)Legal defense against class-action lawsuits.
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