The Turkish educational sector seems to be facing a dangerous, new cyber threat as hackers now target universities in the country. Someone is selling access to a Turkish university’s private network.
The seller posted the offer on the notorious BreachForums marketplace last Saturday. The asking price for this digital skeleton key is just $500.
The dark web listing and its serious implications
A post on the dark web marketplace BreachForums is hinting at a serious cyber threat. An anonymous seller claims to have access to a Turkish university’s network. The access is being sold for $500.
The entry point is the university’s GlobalProtect VPN. This tool is meant to let staff and students connect securely from anywhere. Instead, it’s now a weapon for sale.
This incident highlights the critical importance of using a properly configured and secure VPN service. For a look at services that prioritize robust security, see our guide on the best VPNs for Turkey.
So, in the post, the seller stated that the university in question has $150 million in revenue, meaning that it’s a lucrative target for criminals.
What could happen if the access is sold?
If a criminal buys this VPN access, the consequences could be severe. They would not just enter a single computer. They would get a foothold in the entire university network.
The buyer could steal troves of sensitive data. This includes student records, staff information, and financial data. Such information is gold for phishing attacks and identity theft and fraud, which could lead to immense financial losses.
Compromised academic credentials can also be used for more targeted espionage, as seen in other threats to researchers, such as spyware reportedly distributed through academic platforms.
With this access, an attacker could also deploy ransomware. They could lock the university out of its own systems. The disruption to education and operations would be massive.
Related incident: The Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen university data leak
This network access sale follows another major breach of a Turkish university just days earlier. A large amount of Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University’s data reportedly leaked on a hacker forum on December 15.
Among the stolen data were many sensitive records, such as Turkish National Identity Number (TCKN), names of students, their birth dates, and their complete academic history. Contact information like phone numbers and emails was also exposed.
The leaker posted a sample of “81 ROWS” of data. Cybersecurity analysts believe this is a “proof of concept.” It likely means the attacker has a much larger, full dataset. They may be planning to sell or release it later.
The exposure of national ID numbers (TCKN) is particularly dangerous. This information can be used for identity theft and financial fraud. It could also enable criminals to deploy highly targeted phishing attacks against students and staff.
These two events are worrisome, and suggest that Turkish universities are facing dual threats. They face both network intrusion and massive data theft. The risks to students’ privacy and institutional security are growing.
The sale of live network access is more dangerous than a simple data leak. It is an active threat to the university’s daily functions and could also cause severe reputational damage to the institution.
The breach is thus putting all members of the university community at risk. The leak at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University is proof of what can happen when there is a data security breach and the effect on the community can be significant.
