Fast Harvard response to unauthorized access to its information systems

In mid-November 2025, Harvard University revealed that it had been the victim of an incident that occurred in one of its internal systems. The unauthorised access was detected on 18 November, in an environment characterised by an increase in attacks on various renowned academic institutions. The university began to officially communicate what had happened a few days later, through its information technology department, to those affected and to the public.

The incident centred on the systems used by the Alumni Affairs and Development section, which is responsible for managing donor and alumni information. Harvard explained that the unauthorised access occurred through a social engineering attack, known as telephone phishing or vishing, which enabled a third party to obtain legitimate credentials. Therefore, personal data such as names, email addresses, telephone numbers, physical addresses, event records and donation details could have been accessed. In addition to notifying the authorities, the university took the following steps: it immediately cancelled the compromised access, strengthened security measures, launched an internal investigation and hired external cybersecurity specialists.

Harvard has now reported that the incident is under control and that there are no signs of continued unauthorised access to its systems. The institution has indicated that no sensitive financial data, passwords or social security numbers have been compromised, which reduces the potential impact of the incident. In addition, it has stepped up awareness campaigns on the dangers of phishing and is maintaining open channels of communication with those who have been affected.