The University of Western Australia (UWA) has confirmed a concerning cybersecurity incident that left thousands of staff, students, and visitors temporarily locked out of their accounts after hackers gained access to password data.
The breach was detected late Saturday, prompting UWA to immediately restrict access and require all users to reset their passwords. University officials stressed that the action was taken as a precaution to limit further risks.
Fiona Bishop, the university’s Chief Information Officer, explained that a critical response team was quickly formed to deal with the issue. According to her, IT staff worked through the night and across the weekend to reset login details and secure systems. She described the process of tracking the breach as “like following footprints in the sand,” suggesting that while there were signs of unauthorized entry, the full picture would take time to uncover.
At this stage, UWA says there is no evidence that any information beyond passwords was stolen. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not identified the source of the attack. Importantly, Bishop confirmed that there has been no indication of ransomware involvement, meaning no group has made contact to demand payment.
To reduce the impact on students, the university granted a three-day extension on assessment deadlines while systems were being restored. Bishop expressed appreciation for the quick efforts of the IT team, noting they worked “feverishly” to get operations back on track.
Despite the disruption, UWA has reassured its community that teaching and classes will continue as scheduled. Support teams are still assisting staff and students with password resets and will remain available until the situation is fully resolved.
Bishop also acknowledged the broader issue of cyberattacks in higher education. “Universities hold enormous amounts of valuable data, and the sector has increasingly become a target as it becomes more digital,” she said. She added that cyber threats against universities are ongoing and continue to grow in scale.
UWA has pledged to strengthen its security systems following the breach and emphasized its commitment to protecting personal information. For now, the priority remains ensuring that all users can safely access their accounts and resume their academic and professional work without interruption.
