Northwestern University Company Cyber Security Posture

northwestern.edu

Northwestern is one of the nationโ€™s premier research universities, combining innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary, and diverse environment. Northwestern provides both students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth in beautiful settings, with two campuses located on Lake Michigan: a 240-acre campus in Evanston, minutes north of Chicago, and a 25-acre campus in downtown Chicago. A third campus in Doha, Qatar was founded in 2008. For more information visit http://www.northwestern.edu

Northwestern University Company Details

Linkedin ID:

northwestern-university

Employees number:

16756 employees

Number of followers:

384979.0

NAICS:

611

Industry Type:

Higher Education

Homepage:

northwestern.edu

IP Addresses:

90

Company ID:

NOR_4857495

Scan Status:

In-progress

AI scoreNorthwestern University Risk Score (AI oriented)

Between 900 and 1000

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

globalscoreNorthwestern University Global Score
blurone
Ailogo

Northwestern University Company Scoring based on AI Models

Model NameDateDescriptionCurrent Score DifferenceScore
AVERAGE-Industry03-12-2025

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 900 and 1000

Northwestern University Company Cyber Security News & History

Past Incidents
0
Attack Types
0
EntityTypeSeverityImpactSeenUrl IDDetailsView

Northwestern University Company Subsidiaries

SubsidiaryImage

Northwestern is one of the nationโ€™s premier research universities, combining innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary, and diverse environment. Northwestern provides both students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth in beautiful settings, with two campuses located on Lake Michigan: a 240-acre campus in Evanston, minutes north of Chicago, and a 25-acre campus in downtown Chicago. A third campus in Doha, Qatar was founded in 2008. For more information visit http://www.northwestern.edu

Loading...

Access Data Using Our API

SubsidiaryImage

Get company history

curl -i -X GET 'https://api.rankiteo.com/underwriter-getcompany-history?linkedin_id=northwestern-university' -H 'apikey: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'
newsone

Northwestern University Cyber Security News

2024-11-25T23:39:59.000Z
Cybersecurity

Northwestern's cybersecurity major will give you a strong foundation in programming, while also teaching you how to evaluate the security of computer systems.

2024-11-10T09:33:58.000Z
Michael Legatt: Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability

Michael Legatt is an adjunct professor within Northwestern's Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability (MSES) Program. Mike Legatt is the founder and CEOย ...

2025-04-15T07:00:00.000Z
Trump Administration Freezes $1 Billion for Cornell and $790 Million for Northwestern, Officials Say

Trump Administration Freezes $1 Billion for Cornell and $790 Million for Northwestern, Officials Say. The funding pause amid civil rightsย ...

2025-04-09T07:00:00.000Z
Trump administration freezes $1B for Cornell, $790M for Northwestern

The Trump administration froze $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell University and $790 million for Northwestern University, the Whiteย ...

2025-02-21T08:00:00.000Z
NSA Allegedly Hacked Northwestern Polytechnical University, China Claims

According to Chinese investigators, the NSA allegedly deployed over 40 malware strains and leveraged zero-day vulnerabilities to gain access.

2025-02-21T08:00:00.000Z
How China Pinned University Cyberattacks on NSA Hackers

A researcher dives into Chinese reports attributing cyberattacks on Northwestern Polytechnical University to the NSA's TAO division.

2025-02-21T08:00:00.000Z
China Claim That NSA Allegedly Hacked Northwestern Polytechnical University

Chinese cybersecurity authorities have alleged that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) breached Northwestern Polytechnical University.

2025-04-09T07:00:00.000Z
Two US universities have funding frozen over alleged civil rights violations

The Trump administration announced the suspension of nearly $2 billion in grants to the pair over alleged civil right violations on campus.

2024-09-04T07:00:00.000Z
Safeguarding Critical Software Infrastructure through Novel AI Systems | News & Events | Computer Science

A Northwestern Computer Science team led by Xinyu Xing and Yan Chen are advancing to the final competition of the DARPA and ARPA-H AI Cyber Challenge.

similarCompanies

Northwestern University Similar Companies

University of Toronto

Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto is Canadaโ€™s top university with a long history of challenging the impossible and transforming society through the ingenuity and resolve of our faculty, students, alumni, and supporters. We are proud to be one of the worldโ€™s top research-intensive univers

The University of Sheffield

linktr.ee/sheffield Weโ€™re Whatuni's University of the Year 2024. A world-class Russell Group institution at the heart of an extraordinary city, driven by outstanding people working as one. Our community is made up of 30,000 students from 150 countries, 8,000 staff, including 1,500 of the worldโ€™s

The University of Auckland

The University of Auckland | Waipapa Taumata Rau is New Zealandโ€™s largest and leading university. We celebrate our location in the beautiful harbour city of Auckland | Tamaki Makaurau, our unique position in Aotearoa New Zealand and our place within the Pacific. Our te reo Mฤori name was gifted b

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University has a proud history that stretches back to 1876 when The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas became the first public institution of higher learning in the state of Texas. Nestled in the heart of the Houston-Dallas-Austin triangle, Texas A&M University at College Station

University of Washington

Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the West Coast and is one of the preeminent research universities in the world. Located minutes from downtown Seattle, the main UW campus provides gorgeous views of the Cascade and

University of North Texas

Ranked a Tier One research institution by the Carnegie Classification, UNT is one of the nationโ€™s largest public research universities with more than 46,000 students who push creative boundaries and graduate with credentials of value so they can become tomorrowโ€™s leaders. UNT is recognized as a Mino

faq

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Cybersecurity Incidents

Northwestern University CyberSecurity History Information

Total Incidents: According to Rankiteo, Northwestern University has faced 0 incidents in the past.

Incident Types: As of the current reporting period, Northwestern University has not encountered any cybersecurity incidents.

Total Financial Loss: The total financial loss from these incidents is estimated to be {total_financial_loss}.

Cybersecurity Posture: The company's overall cybersecurity posture is described as Northwestern is one of the nationโ€™s premier research universities, combining innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary, and diverse environment. Northwestern provides both students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth in beautiful settings, with two campuses located on Lake Michigan: a 240-acre campus in Evanston, minutes north of Chicago, and a 25-acre campus in downtown Chicago. A third campus in Doha, Qatar was founded in 2008. For more information visit http://www.northwestern.edu.

Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through {description_of_detection_and_response_process}.

Incident Details

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Title: {Incident_Title}

Description: {Brief_description_of_the_incident}

Date Detected: {Detection_Date}

Date Publicly Disclosed: {Disclosure_Date}

Date Resolved: {Resolution_Date}

Type: {Type_of_Attack}

Attack Vector: {Attack_Vector}

Vulnerability Exploited: {Vulnerability}

Threat Actor: {Threat_Actor}

Motivation: {Motivation}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Title: {Incident_Title}

Description: {Brief_description_of_the_incident}

Date Detected: {Detection_Date}

Date Publicly Disclosed: {Disclosure_Date}

Date Resolved: {Resolution_Date}

Type: {Type_of_Attack}

Attack Vector: {Attack_Vector}

Vulnerability Exploited: {Vulnerability}

Threat Actor: {Threat_Actor}

Motivation: {Motivation}

Common Attack Types: As of now, the company has not encountered any reported incidents involving common cyberattacks.

Identification of Attack Vectors: The company identifies the attack vectors used in incidents through {description_of_identification_process}.

Impact of the Incidents

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Financial Loss: {Financial_Loss}

Data Compromised: {Data_Compromised}

Systems Affected: {Systems_Affected}

Downtime: {Downtime}

Operational Impact: {Operational_Impact}

Conversion Rate Impact: {Conversion_Rate_Impact}

Revenue Loss: {Revenue_Loss}

Customer Complaints: {Customer_Complaints}

Brand Reputation Impact: {Brand_Reputation_Impact}

Legal Liabilities: {Legal_Liabilities}

Identity Theft Risk: {Identity_Theft_Risk}

Payment Information Risk: {Payment_Information_Risk}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Financial Loss: {Financial_Loss}

Data Compromised: {Data_Compromised}

Systems Affected: {Systems_Affected}

Downtime: {Downtime}

Operational Impact: {Operational_Impact}

Conversion Rate Impact: {Conversion_Rate_Impact}

Revenue Loss: {Revenue_Loss}

Customer Complaints: {Customer_Complaints}

Brand Reputation Impact: {Brand_Reputation_Impact}

Legal Liabilities: {Legal_Liabilities}

Identity Theft Risk: {Identity_Theft_Risk}

Payment Information Risk: {Payment_Information_Risk}

Average Financial Loss: The average financial loss per incident is {average_financial_loss}.

Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are {list_of_commonly_compromised_data_types}.

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Entity Name: {Entity_Name}

Entity Type: {Entity_Type}

Industry: {Industry}

Location: {Location}

Size: {Size}

Customers Affected: {Customers_Affected}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Entity Name: {Entity_Name}

Entity Type: {Entity_Type}

Industry: {Industry}

Location: {Location}

Size: {Size}

Customers Affected: {Customers_Affected}

Response to the Incidents

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Incident Response Plan Activated: {Yes/No}

Third Party Assistance: {Yes/No}

Law Enforcement Notified: {Yes/No}

Containment Measures: {Containment_Measures}

Remediation Measures: {Remediation_Measures}

Recovery Measures: {Recovery_Measures}

Communication Strategy: {Communication_Strategy}

Adaptive Behavioral WAF: {Adaptive_Behavioral_WAF}

On-Demand Scrubbing Services: {On_Demand_Scrubbing_Services}

Network Segmentation: {Network_Segmentation}

Enhanced Monitoring: {Enhanced_Monitoring}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Incident Response Plan Activated: {Yes/No}

Third Party Assistance: {Yes/No}

Law Enforcement Notified: {Yes/No}

Containment Measures: {Containment_Measures}

Remediation Measures: {Remediation_Measures}

Recovery Measures: {Recovery_Measures}

Communication Strategy: {Communication_Strategy}

Adaptive Behavioral WAF: {Adaptive_Behavioral_WAF}

On-Demand Scrubbing Services: {On_Demand_Scrubbing_Services}

Network Segmentation: {Network_Segmentation}

Enhanced Monitoring: {Enhanced_Monitoring}

Incident Response Plan: The company's incident response plan is described as {description_of_incident_response_plan}.

Third-Party Assistance: The company involves third-party assistance in incident response through {description_of_third_party_involvement}.

Data Breach Information

Incident 2: Data Breach

Type of Data Compromised: {Type_of_Data}

Number of Records Exposed: {Number_of_Records}

Sensitivity of Data: {Sensitivity_of_Data}

Data Exfiltration: {Yes/No}

Data Encryption: {Yes/No}

File Types Exposed: {File_Types}

Personally Identifiable Information: {Yes/No}

Prevention of Data Exfiltration: The company takes the following measures to prevent data exfiltration: {description_of_prevention_measures}.

Handling of PII Incidents: The company handles incidents involving personally identifiable information (PII) through {description_of_handling_process}.

Ransomware Information

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Ransom Demanded: {Ransom_Amount}

Ransom Paid: {Ransom_Paid}

Ransomware Strain: {Ransomware_Strain}

Data Encryption: {Yes/No}

Data Exfiltration: {Yes/No}

Ransom Payment Policy: The company's policy on paying ransoms in ransomware incidents is described as {description_of_ransom_payment_policy}.

Data Recovery from Ransomware: The company recovers data encrypted by ransomware through {description_of_data_recovery_process}.

Regulatory Compliance

Ransomware Logo

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Regulations Violated: {Regulations_Violated}

Fines Imposed: {Fines_Imposed}

Legal Actions: {Legal_Actions}

Regulatory Notifications: {Regulatory_Notifications}

Data Breach Logo

Incident 2: Data Breach

Regulations Violated: {Regulations_Violated}

Fines Imposed: {Fines_Imposed}

Legal Actions: {Legal_Actions}

Regulatory Notifications: {Regulatory_Notifications}

Regulatory Frameworks: The company complies with the following regulatory frameworks regarding cybersecurity: {list_of_regulatory_frameworks}.

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: The company ensures compliance with regulatory requirements through {description_of_compliance_measures}.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Lessons Learned: {Lessons_Learned}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Lessons Learned: {Lessons_Learned}

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Recommendations: {Recommendations}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Recommendations: {Recommendations}

Key Lessons Learned: The key lessons learned from past incidents are {list_of_key_lessons_learned}.

Implemented Recommendations: The company has implemented the following recommendations to improve cybersecurity: {list_of_implemented_recommendations}.

References

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Source: {Source}

URL: {URL}

Date Accessed: {Date_Accessed}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Source: {Source}

URL: {URL}

Date Accessed: {Date_Accessed}

Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at {list_of_additional_resources}.

Investigation Status

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Investigation Status: {Investigation_Status}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Investigation Status: {Investigation_Status}

Communication of Investigation Status: The company communicates the status of incident investigations to stakeholders through {description_of_communication_process}.

Stakeholder and Customer Advisories

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Stakeholder Advisories: {Stakeholder_Advisories}

Customer Advisories: {Customer_Advisories}


Incident 2: Data Breach

Stakeholder Advisories: {Stakeholder_Advisories}

Customer Advisories: {Customer_Advisories}

Advisories Provided: The company provides the following advisories to stakeholders and customers following an incident: {description_of_advisories_provided}.

Initial Access Broker

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Entry Point: {Entry_Point}

Reconnaissance Period: {Reconnaissance_Period}

Backdoors Established: {Backdoors_Established}

High Value Targets: {High_Value_Targets}

Data Sold on Dark Web: {Yes/No}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Entry Point: {Entry_Point}

Reconnaissance Period: {Reconnaissance_Period}

Backdoors Established: {Backdoors_Established}

High Value Targets: {High_Value_Targets}

Data Sold on Dark Web: {Yes/No}

Monitoring and Mitigation of Initial Access Brokers: The company monitors and mitigates the activities of initial access brokers through {description_of_monitoring_and_mitigation_measures}.

Post-Incident Analysis

Incident 1: Ransomware Attack

Root Causes: {Root_Causes}

Corrective Actions: {Corrective_Actions}

Incident 2: Data Breach

Root Causes: {Root_Causes}

Corrective Actions: {Corrective_Actions}

Post-Incident Analysis Process: The company's process for conducting post-incident analysis is described as {description_of_post_incident_analysis_process}.

Corrective Actions Taken: The company has taken the following corrective actions based on post-incident analysis: {list_of_corrective_actions_taken}.

Additional Questions

General Information

Ransom Payment History: The company has {paid/not_paid} ransoms in the past.

Last Ransom Demanded: The amount of the last ransom demanded was {last_ransom_amount}.

Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident was {last_attacking_group}.

Incident Details

Most Recent Incident Detected: The most recent incident detected was on {most_recent_incident_detected_date}.

Most Recent Incident Publicly Disclosed: The most recent incident publicly disclosed was on {most_recent_incident_publicly_disclosed_date}.

Most Recent Incident Resolved: The most recent incident resolved was on {most_recent_incident_resolved_date}.

Impact of the Incidents

Highest Financial Loss: The highest financial loss from an incident was {highest_financial_loss}.

Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident was {most_significant_data_compromised}.

Most Significant System Affected: The most significant system affected in an incident was {most_significant_system_affected}.

Response to the Incidents

Third-Party Assistance in Most Recent Incident: The third-party assistance involved in the most recent incident was {third_party_assistance_in_most_recent_incident}.

Containment Measures in Most Recent Incident: The containment measures taken in the most recent incident were {containment_measures_in_most_recent_incident}.

Data Breach Information

Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach was {most_sensitive_data_compromised}.

Number of Records Exposed: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was {number_of_records_exposed}.

Ransomware Information

Highest Ransom Demanded: The highest ransom demanded in a ransomware incident was {highest_ransom_demanded}.

Highest Ransom Paid: The highest ransom paid in a ransomware incident was {highest_ransom_paid}.

Regulatory Compliance

Highest Fine Imposed: The highest fine imposed for a regulatory violation was {highest_fine_imposed}.

Most Significant Legal Action: The most significant legal action taken for a regulatory violation was {most_significant_legal_action}.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Most Significant Lesson Learned: The most significant lesson learned from past incidents was {most_significant_lesson_learned}.

Most Significant Recommendation Implemented: The most significant recommendation implemented to improve cybersecurity was {most_significant_recommendation_implemented}.

References

Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident is {most_recent_source}.

Most Recent URL for Additional Resources: The most recent URL for additional resources on cybersecurity best practices is {most_recent_url}.

Investigation Status

Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is {current_status_of_most_recent_investigation}.

Stakeholder and Customer Advisories

Most Recent Stakeholder Advisory: The most recent stakeholder advisory issued was {most_recent_stakeholder_advisory}.

Most Recent Customer Advisory: The most recent customer advisory issued was {most_recent_customer_advisory}.

Initial Access Broker

Most Recent Entry Point: The most recent entry point used by an initial access broker was {most_recent_entry_point}.

Most Recent Reconnaissance Period: The most recent reconnaissance period for an incident was {most_recent_reconnaissance_period}.

Post-Incident Analysis

Most Significant Root Cause: The most significant root cause identified in post-incident analysis was {most_significant_root_cause}.

Most Significant Corrective Action: The most significant corrective action taken based on post-incident analysis was {most_significant_corrective_action}.

What Do We Measure?

revertimgrevertimgrevertimgrevertimg
Incident
revertimgrevertimgrevertimgrevertimg
Finding
revertimgrevertimgrevertimgrevertimg
Grade
revertimgrevertimgrevertimgrevertimg
Digital Assets

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:

Network Security

Identify exposed access points, detect misconfigured SSL certificates, and uncover vulnerabilities across the network infrastructure.

SBOM (Software Bill of Materials)

Gain visibility into the software components used within an organization to detect vulnerabilities, manage risk, and ensure supply chain security.

CMDB (Configuration Management Database)

Monitor and manage all IT assets and their configurations to ensure accurate, real-time visibility across the company's technology environment.

Threat Intelligence

Leverage real-time insights on active threats, malware campaigns, and emerging vulnerabilities to proactively defend against evolving cyberattacks.

Top LeftTop RightBottom LeftBottom Right
Rankiteo is a unified scoring and risk platform that analyzes billions of signals weekly to help organizations gain faster, more actionable insights into emerging threats. Empowering teams to outpace adversaries and reduce exposure.
Users Love Us Badge