Cybersecurity Breach at Sandip University: DarkVault Ransomware Attack Overview

Incident Date:

April 26, 2024

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Overview

Title

Cybersecurity Breach at Sandip University: DarkVault Ransomware Attack Overview

Victim

Sandip University

Attacker

DarkVault

Location

Nashik, India

, India

First Reported

April 26, 2024

DarkVault Ransomware Attack on Sandip University

Overview of the Attack

Sandip University, a prominent private university in India, recently fell victim to a ransomware attack by a group known as DarkVault. The attack involved the deployment of malware, specifically designed to block access to the university's systems and steal sensitive information. The compromised data includes credentials of employees, partners, and students, affecting a total of 44 individuals.

Victim Profile: Sandip University

The university is located in Northern Maharashtra, India, and is recognized for its substantial contributions to higher education, offering a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. The institution is notable for its vast 250+ acre campus and strong industry connections, with over 200 companies participating in its annual placement drives. The university's industry-based curriculum has led to a high placement rate, making it a significant entity in the educational sector.

Targeting and Vulnerabilities

The university's extensive digital infrastructure and large data repositories containing sensitive information make it an attractive target for cybercriminals. The high volume of personal and institutional data managed by the university increases the potential payoff for ransomware attackers. Furthermore, the university's significant online presence and dependency on digital platforms for administrative and educational purposes may have exposed vulnerabilities that were exploited by the attackers.

Implications of the Attack

The ransomware attack on Sandip University not only threatens the privacy and security of the affected individuals but also jeopardizes the university's operational capabilities. The breach could lead to significant disruptions in the academic and administrative functions of the university, potentially affecting its reputation and the trust placed in it by students and faculty.

Sources

Recent Ransomware Attacks

The Recent Ransomware Attacks (RRA) site acts as a watchtower, providing you with near real-time ransomware tracking of attacks, groups and their victims. Given threat actors’ overarching, lucrative success so far, ransomware attacks have become the most ubiquitous, and financially and informationally impactful cyber threat to businesses and organizations today.

The site’s data is generated based on hosting choices of real-world threat actors, and a handful of other trackers. While sanitization efforts have been taken, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of the data. Attack updates will be made as source data is reported by reputable sources. By viewing, accessing, or using RRA you acknowledge you are doing so at your own risk.