A ransomware group calling itself Global Secret Group claims to have obtained data associated with Columbia University Information (Dental) on or around August 14, 2026. This claim appears on the group’s own leak-site listing, which is tracked by ransomware.live, a security research platform that monitors ransomware groups’ public extortion sites. At this time, the claim has not been independently verified, and Columbia University has not issued a public confirmation of any breach involving its dental information systems.
What we know — and don’t
- The group calling itself Global Secret Group listed this claim with a date of August 14, 2026.
- The entity named in the listing relates to Columbia University’s dental information records, placing it within the healthcare sector.
- The specific data types allegedly accessed — such as patient records, billing information, or personal identifiers — have not been disclosed by the group or confirmed by any independent source.
- No regulatory body or breach notification has yet been publicly linked to this claim as of this writing.
- This listing was surfaced through ransomware.live’s monitoring of leak sites operated by ransomware and extortion groups.
What should you do if you have an account with this company?
- Change your password for any account tied to Columbia University’s dental services, and avoid reusing that password elsewhere.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever it is offered for related accounts.
- Be cautious of unexpected emails, texts, or calls referencing dental visits, billing, or account verification, since claimed breaches are often followed by phishing attempts.
- Monitor your financial statements and insurance explanation-of-benefits notices for anything unfamiliar.
- Consider using an identity monitoring service like a service like Aura or LifeLock to help watch for signs your personal information is being misused elsewhere.
- Keep records of any suspicious communications in case you need to report them later.
BreachLetter will update this page if Columbia University confirms this incident, or if it is officially reported to regulators or affected individuals.