Newcastle University Says Configuration Issue Exposed Limited Contact Data

Summary

Newcastle University says a configuration issue affecting an admissions-system connection enabled unauthorized access to names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. It corrected the issue and reports no evidence of wider compromise.

Key points

• The university says it was alerted to potential unauthorized data access on July 27, 2026.
• An investigation identified a configuration issue affecting a connection to an admissions system.
• Exposed information was limited to names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers; admissions and exam results data were not affected.
• The university says it corrected the configuration and removed further access.
• It reports no evidence of broader systems or infrastructure compromise, ransomware or malware deployment.
• The university says it is continuing forensic investigations with specialist security partners and assessing regulatory obligations; it reported the incident to the ICO.
• The university said other organizations may have been targeted by the same criminal group, and warned affected people to watch for scam messages or calls.