MANILA (UPDATE) -- The Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University said Thursday their respective student portals were hacked, in the latest cyber attacks on tertiary education institutions in less than a month.
In a statement, the PUP Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) said it had conducted an initial investigation after reports surfaced that the university's Student Information System (SIS) was hacked.
"The PUP-ICTO has determined the extent of the data breach and has already advised the members of the PUP Community... on what to do to protect their individual SIS account," the PUP-ICTO said.
"Initial investigation reveals that no sensitive users’ information was compromised in this incident," it said.
The PUP-ICTO said it would strengthen the safety features of the student portal.
The office added it would submit the findings of its investigation to the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Privacy Commission (NPC).
FEU meanwhile apologized as it confirmed an "intrusion" in the student portal of its Manila campus.
"We assure you that this incident is being taken seriously. The Student Portal is temporarily unavailable as we assess the situation and implement corrective measures before making it accessible," FEU said in a statement.
FEU advised its students to reset the passwords of their Microsoft Office 365 accounts.
The university added that it has informed the NPC of the incident and has engaged the services of an external cybersecurity provider to augment their security measures.
In early June, unidentified hackers reportedly infiltrated the student portal of San Beda University.
The incidents happened as most schools and universities in the Philippines are strengthening their digital offering to facilitate online learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
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