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Hackers steal myTUM passwords and disrupt Munich’s campus system
Hackers stole the central login passwords of users registered with the Technical University of Munich’s myTUM portal, then used an administrator’s credentials to attack TUMonline, the university’s campus management system. TUM took TUMonline offline and restored access on Monday morning, allowing users to reset their passwords.
The university disclosed the breach on 6 November and has not said how the attackers got in or how many people were affected. Names, addresses and dates of birth may have been exposed, alongside some staff and student records; TUM says its logs indicate grades and college applications were not compromised, though the investigation continues. Accounts with multi-factor authentication were protected, and users have been advised to change reused passwords and watch for phishing.
In short
- Hackers stole myTUM users’ central login passwords.
- An administrator’s credentials were used to attack TUMonline.
- TUM says grades and college applications appear unaffected.
Explained simply
The Technical University of Munich, known as TUM, uses myTUM as a central portal for people to access university services. TUMonline is a separate system used for campus administration, including student and staff records.
The two systems hold information about students and staff, such as contact details and dates of birth. A breach involving login credentials can therefore affect more than access to a website, and passwords reused across services may put other accounts at risk.
Multi-factor authentication adds a second check beyond a password when someone signs in. Phishing is a common way attackers try to trick people into revealing login details, so exposed personal information can make such attempts more convincing.
Cybersecurity Europe Technology World
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Originally published by The Register as “Portal breach at Germany’s top university exposes every registered user’s password”.