Brinztech Alert: University of Sharjah (UAE) Breached; Faculty/Staff “Full CVs” & Passport Numbers For Sale

Dark Web News Analysis

The dark web news reports the alleged sale of a highly sensitive database from the University of Sharjah (UoS), a major educational institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The database, for sale for a very low price of $200, allegedly contains the “Full CVs” of faculty and staff.

The low price is not a sign of low quality; it is a “flash sale” tactic to ensure rapid, widespread distribution to as many criminals as possible, maximizing the damage.

This is a “full kit” identity theft breach. The leaked data includes:

• Full PII (Names, Pictures, Dates of Birth).
• Contact Details (Phone, Email, Addresses).
• Passport Numbers (!!!).
• Full professional/educational history (from the CVs).

Key Cybersecurity Insights

This is a high-severity incident with extreme, permanent consequences for victims (especially international faculty) and massive legal liability for the university.

1. “ID Theft Goldmine” (Passport Leak): This is the #1, catastrophic threat. The combination of a victim’s Full PII + Date of Birth + Photo + Passport Number is a “golden kit” for international identity theft. Attackers can use this to:
   • Pass Know Your Customer (KYC) checks at banks and crypto exchanges globally.
   • Commit high-value financial fraud.
   • Forge documents for travel or impersonation.
   • This is especially dangerous for a university with a large, international faculty and staff.
2. “Spear-Phishing Goldmine” (CV Leak): This is the most immediate fraud threat. The attacker now has the complete professional history of every victim. This enables perfectly convincing, hyper-targeted spear-phishing scams.
   • The Scam: “Hello Dr. [Name], this is the alumni association for [Previous University on CV]. We are updating our records and show you worked in the [Department on CV] from [Year on CV]. Please log in at [phishing link] to confirm your details for our new directory…”
   • This scam will be lethally effective because it uses multiple, real data points to build trust.
3. Severe Regulatory Failure (UAE – PDPL): This is a severe breach of the UAE’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
   • The university (as the “Data Controller”) is legally required to report this breach to the UAE Data Office.
   • The leak of “sensitive personal data,” including Passport Numbers and biometric data (pictures), poses a “high risk” to individuals and will attract the highest level of fines and regulatory penalties.
4. Low Price = Mass Distribution: The $200 price ensures this data won’t be held by one group. It will be bought, re-sold, and leaked for free within days, making the data permanently public and available to all criminals.

Mitigation Strategies

This is an identity theft and regulatory emergency.

For the University of Sharjah (The Institution):

• Immediate Investigation: (As suggested) Activate a “Code Red” IR plan. Engage a DFIR (Digital Forensics) firm immediately to verify the data and find the breach vector.
• MANDATORY: Report to UAE Data Office: Immediately report this breach to the UAE Data Office as required by the PDPL.
• MANDATORY: Force Password Reset: (As suggested) Immediately force a password reset for all faculty, staff, and student accounts.
• MANDATORY: Notify All Victims: (As suggested) This is a legal requirement. The notification must be transparent about the Passport Number and CV leak and explicitly warn of the high risk of identity theft and CV-based spear-phishing scams.
• MANDATORY: Offer ID Theft Protection: Given the passport leak, the university must provide free, multi-year international identity theft and credit monitoring to all affected faculty and staff.

For Affected Faculty & Staff (Victims):

• CRITICAL: Phishing/Vishing Alert: TRUST NO ONE. Assume all unsolicited calls, texts, or emails are SCAMS, especially if they reference your professional history from your CV. NEVER click links or give info.
• CRITICAL: Monitor Identity & Credit: Immediately place high alerts on all your bank accounts and credit files, both in the UAE and in your home country.
• Change Reused Passwords: If your university password was reused anywhere else (bank, email), that account is now compromised. Change it immediately.

Secure Your Business with Brinztech — Global Cybersecurity Solutions Brinztech protects organizations worldwide from evolving cyber threats. Whether you’re a startup or a global enterprise, our expert solutions keep your digital assets safe and your operations running smoothly.

Questions or Feedback? This analysis is based on threat intelligence from a dark web forum. A breach of a university, involving the “full CVs” and Passport Numbers of international faculty, is a severe, high-risk identity theft event. Brinztech provides cybersecurity services worldwide and does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of external claims. For any inquiries or to report this post, please email: contact@brinztech.com