The University of Pennsylvania holds an unusual status: it counts Elon Musk and Donald Trump among its alumni, two figures who evoke strong reactions globally. As both figures gained political influence over the past year, Penn faced increasing pressure from the U.S. government, initially through the withdrawal of research funding and targeting over historical actions concerning a transgender swimmer.
Following these pressures, Penn was extended a rare offer, along with just eight other schools nationally, to enter into a special “compact” with the federal government. This agreement would allow the government extensive control over the university’s operations and speech in exchange for preferred access to federal funding, an offer Penn ultimately declined. Adding to the intrigue, one of Penn's affluent supporters reportedly assisted the Trump administration in drafting this agreement.
Effectively, Penn has become a target of the Trump administration, and it now finds itself victim to a cyberattack linked to grievances shared by Trump and Musk regarding affirmative action and perceived ‘wokeness.’
On October 31, the university underwent a cyberattack described by the institution as “sophisticated identity impersonation, commonly known as social engineering.” This breach allowed an unknown hacker access to various vital Penn systems, including its Salesforce platform, SharePoint and Box services, and marketing applications.
The attacker also allegedly seized a copy of the highly sensitive donor database. As reported by the university's paper, some of this data, which includes “memos about donors and their families, receipts of bank transactions, and personal identifying information,” has already surfaced on LeakForums.