Florida College With A Noted Cybersecurity Program: Hacked For Over $100,000 Dollars

University of Central Florida Falls was a Victim of Cybercrime; Measures are Being Implemented to prevent future incidents as state cyber security continues to Fail the Public.

Fla. News—In a shocking incident earlier this year, the University of Central Florida (UCF) was the victim of a sophisticated hacking scheme that resulted in the theft of over $100,000. The cyber thieves exploited vulnerabilities in the university’s payment system, leading to significant financial loss and raising concerns about cybersecurity measures in educational institutions.

The stolen funds, exceeding $100,000, represent a significant financial loss for the university. UCF has confirmed that the breach did not impact student financial aid, scholarship funds, or individual student accounts. The Orlando Police Department’s Cybercrime Unit and the FBI’s Cyber Division have been notified and are actively investigating the incident. No suspects have been publicly identified at this time.

How the Hacking Scheme Unfolded
The incident occurred in May 2024, when UCF employees received what appeared to be a legitimate notification from a vendor requesting a change in payment information. The employees, failing to verify the authenticity of the request, updated the payment details. This led to the transfer of $107,625 to unauthorized accounts. The fraudulent activity went undetected for 12 days, during which time nearly all the money had vanished.

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