Wichita State University

Wichita State University is a university located in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional education across various disciplines and serves a student population. The university operates extensive digital infrastructure to support academic services, administrative functions, and student and employee portals. This includes networks and systems that manage personal information, financial data, and educational records.

The university has experienced multiple cybersecurity incidents in recent years. In April and May 2023, unauthorized third-party access attempts prompted Wichita State to disconnect several systems to isolate the threats. Access was largely restored with no evidence of secure data compromise, though residual issues were anticipated during recovery. In December 2019, an attacker accessed a server hosting student and employee web portals, compromising a historical database containing names, email addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for 1,762 Iowa residents. The university secured the server, conducted a forensic investigation, and notified affected individuals approximately one month after detection. Earlier, in January 2019, a phishing scam targeted employees, leading to compromised university credentials. This resulted in diverted paychecks for at least three staff members and exposure of bank account details and student records. Following these incidents, Wichita State implemented enhanced security measures, including staff re-education, to mitigate future risks.