
Michigan State University Company Cyber Security Posture
msu.eduA top global public university, MSU is home to 400+ academic programs. Spartans Will.
MSU Company Details
michigan-state-university
25302 employees
576108.0
611
Higher Education
msu.edu
Scan still pending
MIC_1059546
In-progress

Between 800 and 900
This score is AI-generated and less favored by cyber insurers, who prefer the TPRM score.

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Michigan State University Company Scoring based on AI Models
Model Name | Date | Description | Current Score Difference | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
AVERAGE-Industry | 03-12-2025 | This score represents the average cybersecurity rating of companies already scanned within the same industry. It provides a benchmark to compare an individual company's security posture against its industry peers. | N/A | Between 800 and 900 |
Michigan State University Company Cyber Security News & History
Entity | Type | Severity | Impact | Seen | Url ID | Details | View |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michigan State University | Breach | 60 | 3 | 10/2016 | MIC1115311023 | Link | |
Rankiteo Explanation : Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaksDescription: The youthful cybercriminal Mys7erioN declared that he had breached the database of Michigan State University, a US organisation. The exposed information includes names, logins, phone numbers, published emails, and encrypted passwords, was made public on Pastebin by Mys7erioN as evidence of the hack. There appears to be an updated user list in one of the tables, gelstaff_mp2016. Additionally, the hacker posted the dataโroughly 500 login credentials and 222 personal detailsโon Pastebin. The hacker found a SQL injection vulnerability in Michigan State University's systems while browsing many websites. | |||||||
Michigan State University | Breach | 100 | 5 | 11/2016 | MIC22151123 | Link | |
Rankiteo Explanation : Attack threatening the organizationโs existenceDescription: The Michigan State University was breached by cybercriminals who attempted to blackmail the institution by attempting to profit from the hacking of a database that held 400,000 records of students and employees. An unauthorised entity gained access to one of the organization's servers, according to Michigan State University, which reported a data breach. There were names, social security numbers, and MSU identifying numbers of some current and past students and staff members in the database, which held over 400,000 information. Passwords, financial, educational, contact, or health information were not included. Upon finding the intrusion, the institution stated it immediately pulled the impacted database down and ascertained that the hackers had only seen 449 documents out of the total. | |||||||
Michigan State University | Ransomware | 100 | 5 | 05/2020 | MIC021281222 | Link | |
Rankiteo Explanation : Attack threatening the organizationโs existenceDescription: Michigan State University fell victim to the Netwalker ransomware group and the group also gave them a deadline to pay ransomware attackers under the threat that they will leak the files stolen from the institutionโs network to the public. The group also posted images with directories, a passport scan, and two financial documents allegedly stolen from the universityโs network as proof. The researchers also discovered individual samples of the Zeppelin Windows ransomware and the Smaug Linux ransomware as well in the systems. |
Michigan State University Company Subsidiaries

A top global public university, MSU is home to 400+ academic programs. Spartans Will.
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MSU Cyber Security News
Hospitals can fight cybercriminals by prioritizing security of billing data, not medical records
Health care cybersecurity policy rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of what cybercriminals actually want. For years, regulators andย ...
MSU study: Ransomware drives US health data breaches
Healthcare organizations operate under immense pressure, and ransomware attacks don't just breach patient privacyโthey disrupt service delivery,ย ...
Michigan Department of Corrections gets cybercrime training at Michigan State University
Sexual offenses are increasing, according to MSU Criminal Justice professor and cyber victimization expert, Karen Holt, and mostly involveย ...
MSU hosts cybersecurity conference
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) โ Be careful who you talk to online. That's one of the key takeaways from a cybersecurity conference held at Michiganย ...
Ferris Stateโs Master of Information Security and Intelligence program among nationโs elite in US News and World Report rankings
Ferris State University's Information Security and Intelligence program is one of the best in the nation according to rankings from U.S. Newsย ...
MSU launches new degree program to blend engineering, computer science
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) โ Michigan State University has formally introduced a new degree program meant to blend mechanical, electrical andย ...
Michigan community colleges recovering from cyber attacks
From network breaches to full-campus shutdowns, such incidents raise alarms about the vulnerabilities in the digital infrastructure of higher educationย ...
Michigan State University hacked; 400,000 records stolen
Earlier this month, 400,000 student, alumni and employee records were leaked following a major data breach at Michigan State. โThe 400,000 individuals includeย ...
New MSU study: Ransomware a leading cause of U.S. health data breaches
According to researchers from Michigan State University, Yale and Johns Hopkins, ransomware is now the leading culprit behind U.S. healthย ...

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Frequently Asked Questions
Explore insights on cybersecurity incidents, risk posture, and Rankiteo's assessments.
MSU CyberSecurity History Information
How many cyber incidents has MSU faced?
Total Incidents: According to Rankiteo, MSU has faced 3 incidents in the past.
What types of cybersecurity incidents have occurred at MSU?
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred incidents Ransomware and Breach.
How does MSU detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents?
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through containment measures with Database taken offline.
Incident Details
Can you provide details on each incident?

Incident : Data Breach
Title: Michigan State University Data Breach
Description: Michigan State University was breached by cybercriminals who attempted to blackmail the institution by profiting from the hacking of a database that held 400,000 records of students and employees.
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Unauthorized Access
Threat Actor: Unauthorized Entity
Motivation: Blackmail, Financial Gain

Incident : Data Breach
Title: Michigan State University Database Breach
Description: The youthful cybercriminal Mys7erioN declared that he had breached the database of Michigan State University, a US organisation. The exposed information includes names, logins, phone numbers, published emails, and encrypted passwords, was made public on Pastebin by Mys7erioN as evidence of the hack. There appears to be an updated user list in one of the tables, gelstaff_mp2016. Additionally, the hacker posted the dataโroughly 500 login credentials and 222 personal detailsโon Pastebin. The hacker found a SQL injection vulnerability in Michigan State University's systems while browsing many websites.
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: SQL Injection
Vulnerability Exploited: SQL Injection
Threat Actor: Mys7erioN

Incident : Ransomware
Title: Ransomware Attack on Michigan State University
Description: Michigan State University fell victim to the Netwalker ransomware group and the group also gave them a deadline to pay ransomware attackers under the threat that they will leak the files stolen from the institutionโs network to the public. The group also posted images with directories, a passport scan, and two financial documents allegedly stolen from the universityโs network as proof. Researchers also discovered individual samples of the Zeppelin Windows ransomware and the Smaug Linux ransomware as well in the systems.
Type: Ransomware
Attack Vector: Netwalker Ransomware, Zeppelin Windows Ransomware, Smaug Linux Ransomware
Threat Actor: Netwalker Ransomware Group
Motivation: Financial Gain
What are the most common types of attacks the company has faced?
Common Attack Types: The most common types of attacks the company has faced is Breach.
Impact of the Incidents
What was the impact of each incident?

Incident : Data Breach MIC22151123
Data Compromised: Names, Social Security Numbers, MSU Identifying Numbers
Systems Affected: Server

Incident : Data Breach MIC1115311023
Data Compromised: names, logins, phone numbers, published emails, encrypted passwords

Incident : Ransomware MIC021281222
Data Compromised: Directories, Passport Scan, Financial Documents
What types of data are most commonly compromised in incidents?
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are Names, Social Security Numbers, MSU Identifying Numbers, names, logins, phone numbers, published emails, encrypted passwords, Directories, Passport Scan and Financial Documents.
Which entities were affected by each incident?

Incident : Data Breach MIC22151123
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Education
Location: Michigan, USA

Incident : Data Breach MIC1115311023
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Education
Location: Michigan, USA

Incident : Ransomware MIC021281222
Entity Type: Educational Institution
Industry: Education
Location: Michigan, USA
Response to the Incidents
What measures were taken in response to each incident?

Incident : Data Breach MIC22151123
Containment Measures: Database taken offline
Data Breach Information
What type of data was compromised in each breach?

Incident : Data Breach MIC22151123
Type of Data Compromised: Names, Social Security Numbers, MSU Identifying Numbers
Number of Records Exposed: 449
Sensitivity of Data: High
Personally Identifiable Information: True

Incident : Data Breach MIC1115311023
Type of Data Compromised: names, logins, phone numbers, published emails, encrypted passwords
Number of Records Exposed: 500 login credentials, 222 personal details

Incident : Ransomware MIC021281222
Type of Data Compromised: Directories, Passport Scan, Financial Documents
Data Exfiltration: Yes
Personally Identifiable Information: Yes
How does the company handle incidents involving personally identifiable information (PII)?
Handling of PII Incidents: The company handles incidents involving personally identifiable information (PII) through was Database taken offline.
Ransomware Information
Was ransomware involved in any of the incidents?

Incident : Ransomware MIC021281222
Ransomware Strain: ['Netwalker', 'Zeppelin', 'Smaug']
Data Exfiltration: Yes
Additional Questions
General Information
Who was the attacking group in the last incident?
Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident were an Unauthorized Entity, Mys7erioN and Netwalker Ransomware Group.
Impact of the Incidents
What was the most significant data compromised in an incident?
Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident were Names, Social Security Numbers, MSU Identifying Numbers, names, logins, phone numbers, published emails, encrypted passwords, Directories, Passport Scan and Financial Documents.
What was the most significant system affected in an incident?
Most Significant System Affected: The most significant system affected in an incident was Server.
Response to the Incidents
What containment measures were taken in the most recent incident?
Containment Measures in Most Recent Incident: The containment measures taken in the most recent incident was Database taken offline.
Data Breach Information
What was the most sensitive data compromised in a breach?
Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach were Names, Social Security Numbers, MSU Identifying Numbers, names, logins, phone numbers, published emails, encrypted passwords, Directories, Passport Scan and Financial Documents.
What was the number of records exposed in the most significant breach?
Number of Records Exposed in Most Significant Breach: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was 1.2K.
What Do We Measure?
Every week, Rankiteo analyzes billions of signals to give organizations a sharper, faster view of emerging risks. With deeper, more actionable intelligence at their fingertips, security teams can outpace threat actors, respond instantly to Zero-Day attacks, and dramatically shrink their risk exposure window.
These are some of the factors we use to calculate the overall score:
Identify exposed access points, detect misconfigured SSL certificates, and uncover vulnerabilities across the network infrastructure.
Gain visibility into the software components used within an organization to detect vulnerabilities, manage risk, and ensure supply chain security.
Monitor and manage all IT assets and their configurations to ensure accurate, real-time visibility across the company's technology environment.
Leverage real-time insights on active threats, malware campaigns, and emerging vulnerabilities to proactively defend against evolving cyberattacks.
