KUCHING, 8 September, 5pm
I would like to start by acknowledging and by saying ‘thank you’ for the messages of support and encouragement from our students, alumni, staff and even the public. We are working hard every day and throughout the day to thoroughly examine everyone’s data in order to identify whose data has been compromised. At this point in our investigation, we are still checking all data points one-by-one.
We understand you will have more questions, so we have developed an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section to the website.
Below is an advance copy of the FAQ, which will continue to be added to as the investigation progresses.
I thank you for your understanding and cooperation, we will continue to update you when we have new information.
Ir. Professor Lau Hieng Ho
Pro Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive Officer (Sarawak)
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
1. I am (or was) a student or a staff member, was my data impacted?
Investigations continue to determine exactly what data has been stolen and which staff members, students and alumni have been impacted. We have mobilised as many staff as possible to meticulously cross reference data points for signs of compromise.
2. What should I do to protect myself?
Regularly check your financial statements and online accounts for any suspicious activity. If you have provided your credit card or bank account details to Swinburne Sarawak, and if you notice anything suspicious you should immediately report it to your bank or credit card company or you should look to cancel these cards as a precaution.
Update your passwords for online accounts, especially if you use the same password for your Swinburne Sarawak account as other websites. You should use strong, unique passwords for each account. Where possible, enable two-factor authentication on your accounts to add an extra layer of security. Two-factor authentication could mean fingerprint, password or password and TAC, for example.
Look out for suspicious emails, calls, or messages that request personal information or prompt you to click on links. Verify the legitimacy of any communication before taking action.
3. How have you responded?
We immediately engaged with cybersecurity experts and all relevant authorities, regulators and agencies. Now we are checking and cross-referencing data to determine which staff, students and alumni have had their data stolen.
4. How are you preventing this from occurring?
We are working with cybersecurity experts to strengthen our cybersecurity measures, and we are committed to a proactive approach to cybersecurity and continuously strengthening our systems to prevent any future incident.
5. What should I do if I notice suspicious activity on my Swinburne account?
If you notice anything unusual with your University IT accounts, immediately change your IT account passwords, report it to IT at ServiceDesk@swinburne.edu.my, and avoid clicking on suspicious links. If in doubt, flag it to us before you take any action.
6. How can I stay informed about the situation?
We will provide updates periodically via email, therefore please check your staff and student email and our website regularly for updates. If you have any concerns or require assistance, please contact our support team at support@swinburne.edu.my.
7. What support is available to me?
If you face any IT-related issues, including issues with logging into your accounts or suspicious activity, please contact our IT support team at servicedesk@swinburne.edu.my or call +6082 255 000.
If you have other concerns or enquiries, you can reach our support team at support@swinburne.edu.my.
Alternatively, you can also reach us through the public live chat on our website’s home page, while students can reach us through the SIC Live Chat available on our website’s Current Students page.
Counselling support is available via email at ecounselling@swinburne.edu.my or by phone 082-260870 or in person at Block G, room G108 (after 9 September please visit Block G, room G801).