Alleged Akira ransomware attack against Stanford University under investigation

Stanford University has confirmed a probe into a cyber incident at the Stanford University Department of Public Safety following claims that it had been compromised in an Akira ransomware attack, which allegedly resulted in the theft of 430 GB of data, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. "Based on our investigation to date, there is no indication that the incident affected any other part of the university, nor did it impact police response to emergencies. The impacted SUDPS system has been secured," said Stanford University, which has already sought third-party experts to determine the extent of the incident. Numerous U.S. colleges and K-12 school districts have already been targeted by the Akira ransomware operation since its emergence in March, with the ransomware gang linked by Avast and Arctic Wolf to the defunct Conti ransomware group. Meanwhile, Stanford University was most recently impacted by a Cl0p ransomware attack against Accellion File Transfer Appliance software in 2021.