Penn Experiences Cybersecurity Breach Amid Offensive Emails

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The University of Pennsylvania reported a cybersecurity breach on Friday, October 31, 2025, after a series of mass emails filled with offensive content were sent to students, faculty, alumni, and parents. The emails, originating from multiple accounts linked to the Graduate School of Education, criticized the university’s security practices and institutional purpose.

According to copies reviewed by The Daily Pennsylvanian, the emails included profane language and a slur, stating, “We hire and admit morons because we love legacies, donors, and unqualified affirmative action admits.” In response, Penn’s Information Systems & Computing office announced it was “working with our campus partners to resolve the issue.”

A spokesperson for the Graduate School of Education condemned the messages as “highly offensive” and insisted they do not represent the values or mission of the university. “We are actively and quickly investigating,” the spokesperson stated.

The university reiterated that the emails are “obviously a fake” and expressed sincere apologies for any harm caused. “These emails are hurtful and upsetting,” read a message sent out to the Penn community.

Elizabeth Cooper, the IT help desk manager for Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication, clarified in a message that the school had not been hacked. She suggested that a list was accessed by malicious parties, leading to the unsolicited messages being sent to recipients outside the university as well.

Penn Medicine Academic Computing Services also confirmed the incident, stating they are taking steps to block further emails. The School of Nursing’s IT services conveyed that their security team is actively working to prevent additional messages from being sent.