Company Details
university-of-minnesota
27,436
504,161
6113
umn.edu
1140
UNI_3156784
Completed

University of Minnesota Company CyberSecurity Posture
umn.eduOne of the nation’s largest schools, the University of Minnesota offers baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in virtually every field—from medicine to business, law to liberal arts, and science and engineering to architecture. The University of Minnesota system is made up of five campuses in Minnesota including Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester, and the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul). University of Minnesota Extension provides outreach and education services to Minnesota's communities through science-based knowledge, expertise and training. The University of Minnesota was recognized by Forbes in 2018 in the Best Employer, Best Employer for Diversity, and Best Employer for New Grads categories.
Company Details
university-of-minnesota
27,436
504,161
6113
umn.edu
1140
UNI_3156784
Completed
Between 750 and 799

UM Global Score (TPRM)XXXX

Description: In August 2021, the University of Minnesota experienced a data breach involving its **Legacy Data Warehouse**, where unauthorized third parties accessed or acquired personal information of individuals associated with the university from **1989 to August 2021**. The compromised data included records of **prospective students, current/former students, employees, and program participants**, potentially exposing their sensitive details on the dark web. The breach led to a **$5 million class-action settlement**, with affected individuals eligible for a **$30 cash payout and 24 months of dark web monitoring**. The university denied negligence but settled to avoid prolonged litigation. The incident highlighted failures in safeguarding long-term stored data, impacting **decades’ worth of personal records** and prompting legal repercussions. The settlement fund covers administrative costs, attorney fees (up to **$1.67M**), service awards, and claimant payouts, with distributions expected **105 days post-final court approval (January 2026)**. The breach underscored vulnerabilities in legacy systems and the far-reaching consequences of historical data exposure.
Description: The University of Minnesota confirms that it has contacted law enforcement and is investigating a claimed data breach that officials became aware on July 2021. According to the statement, the "U" hired outside forensics specialists from around the world to investigate reports of a breach and make sure the University's computer systems were safe. The University of Minnesota will provide options to help prevent the exploitation of personal information as well as alert anyone who has been impacted by the alleged breach.


No incidents recorded for University of Minnesota in 2025.
No incidents recorded for University of Minnesota in 2025.
No incidents recorded for University of Minnesota in 2025.
UM cyber incidents detection timeline including parent company and subsidiaries

One of the nation’s largest schools, the University of Minnesota offers baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in virtually every field—from medicine to business, law to liberal arts, and science and engineering to architecture. The University of Minnesota system is made up of five campuses in Minnesota including Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester, and the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul). University of Minnesota Extension provides outreach and education services to Minnesota's communities through science-based knowledge, expertise and training. The University of Minnesota was recognized by Forbes in 2018 in the Best Employer, Best Employer for Diversity, and Best Employer for New Grads categories.


WGU, www.wgu.edu, is an online university for the 21st century. We are driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs. Since its establishment in 1997, WGU has grown into a national university, serving more than 120,000 students from all 50

Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The official flagship Harvard social media chann

UC San Francisco is driven by the idea that when the best research, the best education and the best patient care converge, great breakthroughs are achieved. We pursue this integrated excellence with singular focus, fueled by collaboration among our top-ranked professional and graduate schools, medic

One of the largest universities in the United States, The Ohio State University is a leading research university and the model for Ohio's public higher education institutes. Founded in 1870 as a land-grant university, it consistently ranks as one of the top public universities in the United States.
For over 130 years, Clemson University has shown unwavering dedication to the people of South Carolina. The University was founded with a land-grant mission and innovative vision — to increase the material resources of the State as a high seminary of learning. Since that time, the University has gro

The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 56,000 faculty and staff and more than 450,000 students. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of

The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. With campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF serves approximately 50,000 students wh

University of Tehran, an iconic institution of higher education in Iran, traces its origins back seven centuries to its foundation as a houza (traditional religious school). Over time, it evolved from this religious structure into a modern academic institution. About a century ago, the Dar-ol-Fonoon

The University of Delaware - a state assisted, privately chartered institution - is a Land Grant, Sea Grant, Space Grant and Carnegie Research University (very high research activity). The University, with origins in 1743, was chartered by the State of Delaware in 1833. A Women's College was opened
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The University of Pennsylvania is investigating an email that was sent out to thousands of current and former students on Friday afternoon...
The University of Minnesota agreed to a $5 million class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it failed to prevent a 2021 data breach...
Metro State University held its inaugural Intelligence Community Colloquium to connect cybersecurity students with professionals from the...
In light of St. Paul's recent cyberattack, we asked the MN Cyber Institute's executive director to explain where systems fail.
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The city's technology teams are now working to restore any impacted servers safely, before bringing them back online, in what St. Paul Mayor...
Gov. Tim Walz has activated the Minnesota National Guard to assist St. Paul in responding to a cyberattack on the capital city on Tuesday.
Minnesota has the right people, deep technical knowledge and years of leadership in securing critical infrastructure.

Explore insights on cybersecurity incidents, risk posture, and Rankiteo's assessments.
The official website of University of Minnesota is http://z.umn.edu/9gi.
According to Rankiteo, University of Minnesota’s AI-generated cybersecurity score is 777, reflecting their Fair security posture.
According to Rankiteo, University of Minnesota currently holds 0 security badges, indicating that no recognized compliance certifications are currently verified for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, University of Minnesota is not certified under SOC 2 Type 1.
According to Rankiteo, University of Minnesota does not hold a SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
According to Rankiteo, University of Minnesota is not listed as GDPR compliant.
According to Rankiteo, University of Minnesota does not currently maintain PCI DSS compliance.
According to Rankiteo, University of Minnesota is not compliant with HIPAA regulations.
According to Rankiteo,University of Minnesota is not certified under ISO 27001, indicating the absence of a formally recognized information security management framework.
University of Minnesota operates primarily in the Higher Education industry.
University of Minnesota employs approximately 27,436 people worldwide.
University of Minnesota presently has no subsidiaries across any sectors.
University of Minnesota’s official LinkedIn profile has approximately 504,161 followers.
University of Minnesota is classified under the NAICS code 6113, which corresponds to Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools.
No, University of Minnesota does not have a profile on Crunchbase.
Yes, University of Minnesota maintains an official LinkedIn profile, which is actively utilized for branding and talent engagement, which can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-minnesota.
As of November 27, 2025, Rankiteo reports that University of Minnesota has experienced 2 cybersecurity incidents.
University of Minnesota has an estimated 14,031 peer or competitor companies worldwide.
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred include Breach.
Total Financial Loss: The total financial loss from these incidents is estimated to be $5 million.
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through an third party assistance with outside forensics specialists, and and communication strategy with providing options to prevent exploitation of personal information and alerting impacted individuals, and third party assistance with kroll settlement administration llc (settlement administration), and recovery measures with $5 million settlement fund for affected individuals, and communication strategy with direct notices sent to affected individuals in september 2023, communication strategy with public settlement claim process..
Title: University of Minnesota Data Breach
Description: The University of Minnesota confirms that it has contacted law enforcement and is investigating a claimed data breach that officials became aware on July 2021. According to the statement, the 'U' hired outside forensics specialists from around the world to investigate reports of a breach and make sure the University's computer systems were safe. The University of Minnesota will provide options to help prevent the exploitation of personal information as well as alert anyone who has been impacted by the alleged breach.
Date Detected: July 2021
Type: Data Breach
Title: University of Minnesota Legacy Data Warehouse Data Breach (August 2021)
Description: Unauthorized third parties accessed or obtained personal data from the University of Minnesota’s Legacy Data Warehouse in August 2021, potentially affecting students, employees, and program participants from 1989 through August 2021. The breach led to a $5 million class action settlement, offering affected individuals a $30 cash payment and 24 months of dark web monitoring. Personal data may have been posted on the dark web.
Date Detected: 2021-08-10
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2023-09
Type: Data Breach
Threat Actor: Unauthorized third parties
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 Legacy Data Warehouse.

Financial Loss: $5,000,000 (settlement fund)
Systems Affected: Legacy Data Warehouse
Brand Reputation Impact: Negative (class action lawsuit and public disclosure)
Legal Liabilities: $5,000,000 settlement, attorneys' fees up to $1,666,666.67
Identity Theft Risk: High (personal data exposed, dark web monitoring offered)
Average Financial Loss: The average financial loss per incident is $2.50 million.
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are Personal Information and .

Entity Name: University of Minnesota
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Education
Location: Minnesota, USA

Entity Name: Regents of the University of Minnesota
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Higher Education
Location: Minnesota, USA
Customers Affected: Students, employees, and program participants from 1989 to August 2021

Third Party Assistance: Outside Forensics Specialists.
Communication Strategy: Providing options to prevent exploitation of personal information and alerting impacted individuals

Third Party Assistance: Kroll Settlement Administration Llc (Settlement Administration).
Recovery Measures: $5 million settlement fund for affected individuals
Communication Strategy: Direct notices sent to affected individuals in September 2023Public settlement claim process
Third-Party Assistance: The company involves third-party assistance in incident response through Outside forensics specialists, , Kroll Settlement Administration LLC (settlement administration), .

Type of Data Compromised: Personal information
Sensitivity of Data: High (includes personally identifiable information)

Data Exfiltration: True
Data Recovery from Ransomware: The company recovers data encrypted by ransomware through $5 million settlement fund for affected individuals, .

Legal Actions: Class action lawsuit settled for $5 million,
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: The company ensures compliance with regulatory requirements through Class action lawsuit settled for $5 million, .

Source: University of Minnesota

Source: Class Action Settlement Notice

Source: Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at and Source: University of Minnesota, and Source: Class Action Settlement Notice, and Source: Kroll Settlement Administration LLC.

Investigation Status: Ongoing

Investigation Status: Settled (class action lawsuit resolved)
Communication of Investigation Status: The company communicates the status of incident investigations to stakeholders through Providing options to prevent exploitation of personal information and alerting impacted individuals, Direct Notices Sent To Affected Individuals In September 2023 and Public Settlement Claim Process.

Stakeholder Advisories: Direct Notices To Affected Individuals (September 2023), Public Settlement Claim Process.
Customer Advisories: $30 cash payment and 24 months of dark web monitoring offered to affected individuals
Advisories Provided: The company provides the following advisories to stakeholders and customers following an incident: were Direct Notices To Affected Individuals (September 2023), Public Settlement Claim Process, $30 Cash Payment And 24 Months Of Dark Web Monitoring Offered To Affected Individuals and .

Entry Point: Legacy Data Warehouse,
High Value Targets: Personal Data Of Students, Employees, And Program Participants (1989–2021),
Data Sold on Dark Web: Personal Data Of Students, Employees, And Program Participants (1989–2021),

Root Causes: Failure To Adequately Protect Personal Information In Legacy Data Warehouse,
Corrective Actions: $5 Million Settlement Fund, Dark Web Monitoring For Affected Individuals,
Post-Incident Analysis Process: The company's process for conducting post-incident analysis is described as Outside Forensics Specialists, , Kroll Settlement Administration Llc (Settlement Administration), .
Corrective Actions Taken: The company has taken the following corrective actions based on post-incident analysis: $5 Million Settlement Fund, Dark Web Monitoring For Affected Individuals, .
Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident was an Unauthorized third parties.
Most Recent Incident Detected: The most recent incident detected was on July 2021.
Most Recent Incident Publicly Disclosed: The most recent incident publicly disclosed was on 2023-09.
Highest Financial Loss: The highest financial loss from an incident was $5,000,000 (settlement fund).
Most Significant System Affected: The most significant system affected in an incident was Legacy Data Warehouse.
Third-Party Assistance in Most Recent Incident: The third-party assistance involved in the most recent incident was outside forensics specialists, , kroll settlement administration llc (settlement administration), .
Most Significant Legal Action: The most significant legal action taken for a regulatory violation was Class action lawsuit settled for $5 million, .
Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident are Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, Class Action Settlement Notice and University of Minnesota.
Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is Ongoing.
Most Recent Stakeholder Advisory: The most recent stakeholder advisory issued was Direct notices to affected individuals (September 2023), Public settlement claim process, .
Most Recent Customer Advisory: The most recent customer advisory issued was an $30 cash payment and 24 months of dark web monitoring offered to affected individuals.
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Angular is a development platform for building mobile and desktop web applications using TypeScript/JavaScript and other languages. Prior to versions 19.2.16, 20.3.14, and 21.0.1, there is a XSRF token leakage via protocol-relative URLs in angular HTTP clients. The vulnerability is a Credential Leak by App Logic that leads to the unauthorized disclosure of the Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF) token to an attacker-controlled domain. Angular's HttpClient has a built-in XSRF protection mechanism that works by checking if a request URL starts with a protocol (http:// or https://) to determine if it is cross-origin. If the URL starts with protocol-relative URL (//), it is incorrectly treated as a same-origin request, and the XSRF token is automatically added to the X-XSRF-TOKEN header. This issue has been patched in versions 19.2.16, 20.3.14, and 21.0.1. A workaround for this issue involves avoiding using protocol-relative URLs (URLs starting with //) in HttpClient requests. All backend communication URLs should be hardcoded as relative paths (starting with a single /) or fully qualified, trusted absolute URLs.
Forge (also called `node-forge`) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. An Uncontrolled Recursion vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and below enables remote, unauthenticated attackers to craft deep ASN.1 structures that trigger unbounded recursive parsing. This leads to a Denial-of-Service (DoS) via stack exhaustion when parsing untrusted DER inputs. This issue has been patched in version 1.3.2.
Forge (also called `node-forge`) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. An Integer Overflow vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and below enables remote, unauthenticated attackers to craft ASN.1 structures containing OIDs with oversized arcs. These arcs may be decoded as smaller, trusted OIDs due to 32-bit bitwise truncation, enabling the bypass of downstream OID-based security decisions. This issue has been patched in version 1.3.2.
Suricata is a network IDS, IPS and NSM engine developed by the OISF (Open Information Security Foundation) and the Suricata community. Prior to versions 7.0.13 and 8.0.2, working with large buffers in Lua scripts can lead to a stack overflow. Users of Lua rules and output scripts may be affected when working with large buffers. This includes a rule passing a large buffer to a Lua script. This issue has been patched in versions 7.0.13 and 8.0.2. A workaround for this issue involves disabling Lua rules and output scripts, or making sure limits, such as stream.depth.reassembly and HTTP response body limits (response-body-limit), are set to less than half the stack size.
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