Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

R-rated Culture

‘Silent Librarian’ Cyber Threat targets KCL

A cyber threat actor known as “Silent Librarian” has targeted King’s College London along with many other universities globally via a method known as spear phishing.

Spear phishing is a scam which targets specific individuals or institutions by tricking users into thinking they are on trustworthy sites or using trustworthy links when they are actually exposing themselves to malware attacks and data breaches. The “Silent Librarian” group, alleged to be operating out of Iran, has set up fake websites, designed to appear identical to university websites but with the hidden ability to extract data from users. Students should be wary of any links or web addresses associated with KCL that look unfamiliar.

Cyber threat list

List of universities targeted with their real websites and counterfeit websites for comparison

The cybersecurity company Malwarebytes announced that the new threat was reported to them in mid-September and say that the activities of the “Silent Librarian” group operate globally and are not limited to specific countries. The nine members of the hacking group were indicted by the US Department of Justice in 2018 for conducting attacks against universities with the goal of stealing research.

IT administrators at KCL and at other universities have an especially hard time protecting against such threats as the online behaviours of students and lecturers make them among the most difficult to protect. This comes at a time when KCL, as well as many other universities, are more and more reliant on cyberspace to conduct teaching and research. While KCL’s digital infrastructure was identified as one of only a few UK universities with the capacity for high-quality online teaching, this online capability clearly comes with associated risks.

Students await guidance on how to stay safe online as KCL have not yet commented on the “Silent Librarian” threat.

Latest

KCLSU & Societies

During a channel crossing event in late February, six King’s College London (KCL) students formed the majority of a crew rescued by the French...

News

Chairman Lord Geidt was found to have broken lobbying rules following an investigation by the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards. The chairman of...

Culture

After the runaway success of their last production, staged inside the majestic baroque settings of the Strand Chapel, King’s College London Opera Society is...

Creative Corner

Creative Corner is a space to share your creative writing at Roar! We hope you enjoy this poem written by May Zaben Calloused fingers...

Comment

News Editor Daisy Eastlake looks into the British accent divide and what it means for social mobility within the UK. Like many university students,...

KCLSU & Societies

During a channel crossing event in late February, six King’s College London (KCL) students formed the majority of a crew rescued by the French...

News

Chairman Lord Geidt was found to have broken lobbying rules following an investigation by the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards. The chairman of...

Culture

After the runaway success of their last production, staged inside the majestic baroque settings of the Strand Chapel, King’s College London Opera Society is...

Culture

Staff writer Charlotte Galea takes a look at the history of the building which neighbours the King’s College London Strand Campus. Somerset House has...