Suspected hacker arrested
At the end of January 2016, a hacker infiltrated the ETH Zurich IT system. Thanks to swift intervention and effective cooperation between the public prosecution service, police and ETH Zurich, a suspect was arrested shortly after the attack was discovered. The suspect is an ETH student.
In January 2016, an unknown offender gained unauthorised access to the ETH Zurich IT system, logged into the ETH Zurich network, ordered software over the ETH system and downloaded data. Employees in the ETH Zurich security and IT services departments detected unlawful activities on 26 January 2016. ETH Zurich immediately reported the offence.
Security measures to protect the ETH network from further attacks were introduced without delay. Thanks to effective cooperation between the cybercrime unit (CYC) and the ETH Zurich IT service, it was possible to apprehend the suspected hacker quickly. The suspect is an ETH student. ETH Zurich is now analysing the situation and enacting a reconstruction of the unauthorised action. They will then use their findings to identify and implement the necessary measures.